


Blazing Trees

by RileeTheRiddler



Series: Blazing through the Dawn [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Families of Choice, Reincarnation, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:14:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 50,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29206464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RileeTheRiddler/pseuds/RileeTheRiddler
Summary: She wasn't entirely sure how she ended up in this situation. One thing she did know was that if one more person told her she was the spitting image of her dad, she was punching them. No questions asked.
Relationships: Silvers Rayleigh/Shakky
Series: Blazing through the Dawn [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143131
Comments: 46
Kudos: 143
Collections: Into another world





	1. Settling in

**Author's Note:**

> I've been inspired by all the other One Piece self insert fics on here, Like Bitter Fruit or Tell it to the Marines or all the other ones. No Beta, but I'll go back and fix it later.

Life on Sabaody was entirely different than anything Blaze had ever encounter in her either of her lives. She remembered learning highly cleansed versions of her old world’s history with slavery, remembered reading about it in the story her new world was based on, but seeing it really life was absolutely life-changing to the girl. 

She didn’t realize it at first because Shakky and Ray kept her at the bar for the most part when she first arrived to live with them. Blaze had thought at first that it’d been due to her highly recognizable face but that turned out not to be the case. 

Turns out some pirate had freed all the slaves living in Mary Geoise less than a year ago and the entire island was on high alert ever since. Slave traders were running rampant as they tried to capture and sell as many people as possible to sate the desire of the celestial dragons. 

Shakky and Ray had actually been hiding a few former slaves in the back of the bar for months before Shanks had dropped her off. They’d left for good before she got there, but Shakky and Ray were still highly paranoid about the whole situation. 

“You’re too cute to get captured by slave traders,” Shakky told her one afternoon while they were cleaning up after lunch. 

Blaze grinned up at the older women. She’d been here for six months and already knew she wanted to grow up to be just like Shakky. Strong, beautiful, smart, and with a powerful husband at her beck and call. “Looks who’s talking, hot stuff,” she winked.

Shakky just laughed at her. “Such a charmer. Just like your, dad.”

Speaking of her dad, he’d been making waves in the new world. Blaze had watched his bounty go up four separate times in the last 6 months. She had them all pinned to her wall in her room, but Shakky also liked to keep a copy of the newest one on the wall behind the bar.

Blaze didn’t really remember as much as she wished she did about her new world. It was infuriating at times. She didn’t know if it was because the memories were so old or if she just didn’t know things, but she constantly found herself being surprised by the sheer insanity of her life. 

For example, sweet Uncle Ray who showed her how to let bullets pass through her body and lie without telling a single lie, spent his free time moonlighting as a slave so he could rob world nobles blind. 

He willingly put on the exploding slave collar, let himself be sold, and then just knocked out his owners, stole all their money, and meandering on home in time for supper?

She would’ve been impressed if she wasn’t so sure he was actually just a complete nutcase. He hid it well, behind his nice and helpful Uncle Ray facade, but she was on to him. 

When she wasn’t helping around the bar, she was reading from Shakky and Silvers’s huge book collection. When her eyes started to strain from that, she’d go outside and practice with her Fog powers. If Ray was around, he’d help. But he was gone so often it was mostly just Shakky keeping an eye on her.

She’d figured out how to take advantage of her logia fruit for the most part. She could pass through objects or let objects pass through her with hardly a thought. She could cover a surprisingly large area with mist or fog, playing with the density to completely obscure someone’s vision or just create a spooky atmosphere. 

Blaze had a theory that it was coming to her so easily now for two reasons. One, she’d finally started listening to her gut. Two, she was absolutely surrounded by water. The Mangrove trees all around her were saturated with water and the natural fog coming off the ocean really amplified her powers.

She was sure that she’d be next to useless in a desert. 

Another issue she had was that her fog was so damned slow. It crept up like a slithering snake and curled around her when she asked, but it refused to be rushed. She remembered other logia’s like Smoker and Ace using their powers to attack in sharp attacks that could decimate in one fell swoop.

Her powers were not like that at all. 

During lunch one day, Blaze let out all her complaint to Shakky. The older woman hummed lightly. “Not everyone is a front line fighter, Blaze. In fact, I’d love to have your powers. Seems like they’d be great for my line of work.”

“Your line of work?” She asked. “At the bar?” 

Shakky grinned. “No, darling. My other line of work. As an information broker.”

“Oooohh.” Blaze forgot about that. Shakky was so surreptitious most of the time it slipped from her mind that the woman probably had more dirt on people than anyone else alive. Except maybe Dragon the Revolutionary. “How would you use my powers then?”

The wolf-like grin Shakky graced her with after that question had to have been something she learned from Uncle Ray. It sent shivers straight up her spine.

——

Blaze’s introduction to information gathering was born of a desperate need to escape the confines of the bar and a not so subtly hidden desire to be just like Shakky. The woman really was an icon. So suave, so powerful and so intelligent. It spoke to Blaze on a deep level. She was also stunning and Blaze was honest enough with herself to realize that she wanted to learn how to be similarly captivating. 

So one day after about a year of living with her foster family, Blaze looked Shakky dead in the eye, bowed, and pleaded, “Please teach me everything you know!”

Shakky just smiled around her cigarette. “Sure.”

——

“The first lesson in information gathering is to have advanced networking skills and learn how to leverage it! Do you think I spend all my time out in the field? Ridiculous. I’ve not needed to do that in years. People come to me, friends & acquaintances. They tell me things for free. and I listen. The most important thing I can teach you is how to listen.” Shakky lectured. 

Blaze was furiously taking notes. She knew she’d forget if she didn’t write things down. 

“You need a creative mind and to be able to control every muscle in your body. Your body is a weapon and the language it speaks can get you into and out of situations others wouldn’t survive.”

“Also, you need to be able to get around unobtrusively. Disguises only go so far once you get caught. The best way around that?” Shakky ended in a questioning tone. 

“Umm… don’t get caught?”

“Exactly, darling. Never get caught.”

——-

One of Blaze’s first practical lessons was how to become invisible without disappearing. Shakky frequently had guests and patrons at the bar. Friends of her and Ray or just people needing information and willing to pay for it. Her job was to be so unobtrusive that those people didn’t even know she was there, but remain unhidden the entire time. 

She’d tied a black bandana over her red hair. As much as she loved her straw hat, it didn’t make sense to wear it inside the bar. Plus, it really did make her look exactly like her father when he was young. With her hair tied back in a braid and her blue tank top and denim shorts, she was easy to overlook. Especially when everyone around her was so much taller. 

It took a lot of trial and error but in the relative safety of the bar and under Shakky’s tutelage, Blaze likes to think she improved rapidly. 

Of course, she forgot about observation Haki. Her first reminder about that unfortunate skill came with the arrival of a warlord to Shakky’s bar. 

———

Jinbe considered himself a fairly reasonable individual but the last few years of his life would be enough to drive anyone to an early grave. 

With the death of his captain and being blackmailed into becoming a government lackey, the fishman really needed a drink or ten. Just a month of vacation maybe. Was it really too much to ask?

He found himself in front of Shakky’s Rip Off Bar. His steps were heavy with fresh grief. He really did wish this was a social call. 

Reaching out with his senses, Jinbe recognized the familiar aura of Shakky. Silvers wasn’t there, no surprise. But there was a little aura tucked up close to the bartender. A new helper perhaps? Jinbe hadn’t been by in years. Who knows what had changed in his absence. 

The bell above the door jingled as he entered. 

“Welcome, Jinbe.” greeted the dark-haired woman behind the counter. 

“Shakky,” he nodded as he took a seat at the bar. A glass of beer from Fishman Island appeared at his elbow as Shakky’s little helper scurried around. She reminded the fishman of a little mouse, trying to hide in plain sight. 

Shakky noticed his gaze and grinned a little but offered no explanation. “What brings you by?”

“Bad news. A lot of bad news.” Jinbe took a large drink, at times like these he really felt his age. “Otohime is dead.” the fishman couldn’t read her face, but he could feel her shock with his Haki. 

“How?” The women asked. “Was it the world nobles?”

“No. A fishman did it. Some kid raised to hate humans. The king and his children are devastated. The official story should be in the papers soon.”

“I see. I’m sorry for your loss Jinbe. I know you were close to her.” 

“It’s been a long few years, Shakky. First Fisher Tiger and the slaves, then Tom was executed over on Water 7, and now this.” Jinbe sighed. He was intimately familiar with his grief at this point. 

Shakky let him sit for a while, respecting his need for a sympathetic ear. Eventually, he spoke up again. “I came to warn you and Silvers. You’ve heard of Dragon and the revolutionaries, right?”

She nodded. “The marines have certainly been taking notice.”

“He plans to bring down the world government,” Jinbe revealed. 

Shakky stayed silent for a moment, “That’s quite the goal.”

Jinbe nodded. “The government has just started taking notice. Dragon had approached Otohime before, asking her to ally herself with them. The queen was convinced a peaceful approach could be found and refused. With her death, many of her followers believe a peaceful resolution impossible. Revolutionaries have been recruiting fishmen, former slaves, pirates, and marines alike. In a few years, Dragon will be a huge threat to the world government.” 

“I see,” Shakky said. “and the warning you came to give?” 

“I’ve heard that the revolutionaries will be approaching you and Silvers soon. I’ve come to warn you away. I own too much to Silvers after what happened on Mary Geoise to let you and him get caught up in that.”

Shakky scoffed suddenly, the sound harsh in the dim light of the late afternoon. “You’re lying, Jinbe. How unlike you.” She scowled at him. “You can’t fool me. I’ve known you too long for that. What’s going on?”

The fishman deflated as if all the strings holding him up had been cut. “It’s not something for little ears to hear.” He said with a glance down towards Shakky’s little helper. 

“Nonsense, that’s my little protege. She can handle it.” The bartender refuted without taking her gaze from Jinbe. 

A battle of wills took place for a moment, the air heavy with intent. Jinbe broke first. If she wanted to endanger the child, that was her prerogative. He had enough to worry about.

“Fine.” he relented. “The truth. The government is gathering information about Dragon now, what little there is of it. At the next Reverie, they plan to start acting against him. I’ve been asked to investigate. I’ve found out enough to be worried.”

“You really have changed Jinbe. What in the world do they have on you?”

Jinbe scowled. “Mind your own business. I’ve done what I had to so my family would survive.”

“Yeah, I heard about Arlong. Exiled to the East Blue, right? And the rest of the Sun Pirates? Hmm, what happened to them?” She prodded. 

“At least they are alive to see the next day, Shakky!” Jinbe yelled at her. 

“It takes a lot to piss me off, Jinbe. But you are treading dangerously close. Mind your tongue, brat!” She swiped his empty glass away from him. 

Jinbe pounded a fist on the table. “I’m just looking out for those I can.”

“You’re being a coward, you fool. Do you think this is what Figher Tiger wanted? You bow your head and fight against those fighting for freedom? You’ve deluded yourself!” She shouted at him. 

The air was heavy with the weight of their clashing ideals. The tension was rising quickly and the conversation was rapidly devolving. A bell chiming at the door broke the heated glares.

“Ah, Shakky, Blaze, I’m home. " Silvers said taking in the tense atmosphere. “Jinbe, what a surprise.”

——-

Blaze recognized Jinbe on sight. He’d been in the papers a lot lately, with his recent ascension to a warlord position and all. She was taken aback by his words though. The knowledge he was working for the government wasn’t new, he’d been a warlord still years from now when he met Luffy. The fact that he was actively working against the revolutionaries though? Something wasn’t adding up. 

Shakky was getting frustrated with the fishman, Blaze could tell. She seldom saw her mentor pissed off, but she was well and truly incense at the moment. There was something else going on, something they weren’t saying/ Blaze was missing a good bit of context for this conversation but she liked to think she knew Shakky well enough to know when she wasn’t being entirely forthcoming. 

Ray’s arrival brought a breath of relief from her lips. Another moment and Blaze was sure Shakky would have been kicking Jinbe out of the bar. He settled next to Jinbe at the bar with a hand clasped to the fishman’s shoulder. Jinbe shrank a little under his hard look. 

It was actually a bit funny, seeing the feared Knight of the Sea cower under Uncle Ray’s firm look. He wasn’t even glaring at the fishman and Jinbe looked ready to get the hell out of there!

“What brings you here, Jinbe? We’re glad to see you, of course.” Ray said.

“Yeah, Jinbe.” Shakky butted in. “Why don’t you tell him why your here?”

Jinbe just scowled at her slightly before seeming to think better of it and turning to the older man. “Dragon the revolutionary will be trying to recruit you both, I came to warn you away.”

Uncle Ray laughed, “Really now. That’s quite unlike you, Jinbe. Do you happen to know something we don’t?”

“I wish I did. But getting involved with him spells nothing but doom for you both. The world government will be taking action soon and the last thing you want to do is get involved.”

“I think you forget who you are talking to. We’ll be fine. You have enough to worry about without taking us into account. You really need to have more faith in your friend’s strength, Jinbe.” 

Shakky nodded along to Ray’s words. “We can take care of ourselves. And so can a lot of your friends and former crewmates. Right night, worry about yourself. You are the one under the thumb of the marines.”

The fishman scowled at both of them. “You guys aren’t listening to a word I’m saying.”

“You have to know how to tell fact from bullshit in my line of work, brat. And you’re slinging a lot more of the latter.”

Ray barked out a laugh. “Take it easy on him dear, he’s been through the wringer lately.”

Blaze chose that unfortunate moment to sneeze loudly and bring the warlord’s attention to her. Uncle Ray smiled at her and gestured her over. When she was close enough he picked her up and settled her on his knee. Jinbe was looking at her intently, a gleam of suspicion in his dark eyes. 

“This is our little ward, Blaze. Blaze, this is an old friend, Jinbe.” Ray introduced.

“Nice to meet you,” she chimed with a little wave. 

“You as well, little mouse.” He replied. He looked at her for a moment longer, tilting his head sideways. “You look just like your father.” Blaze scowled, she was damn tired of hearing that. Her hair was even covered with her bandana today! What the hell.

Rayleigh laughed. “She’s his spitting image when he was that age.”

“I’m working on it okay! Geez.” She scowled. She had a few ideas for how to look less like her father, not the least of which was some cleverly applied makeup. 

The adults laughed at her. “I wouldn’t worry so much about looks,” Shakky said. “She’s a born charmer. Guaranteed to grow up to be a heartbreaker.”

“I’m too young!” Blaze yelped. “I’m only nine oh my god I’m way too young for that!”

“Nine?’ Jinbe asked surprised. “You sure? You’re awfully small for a 9-year-old.”

“Ugh,” she groaned. “Don’t ask.”

The fishman laughed. “Whatever you say, little mouse.”

The atmosphere lightened after that with the adults catching up and Blaze badgering Jinbe into telling her stories from his time on the seas. 

It was a nice evening. 

——

After Jinbe left and Blaze was put to bed, Rayleigh looked over at his wife from where he was getting ready for bed. “I guess you’re going to tell Dragon that Jinbe’s a no go for recruitment, then?” he asked.

Shakky let out a heavy sigh. “Looks like it. We might try again in a few years, but with Otohime’s death so fresh in his mind….well, the grief was rolling off him in waves. Maybe in a few years.”

“That's probably for the best,”Ray said as walked over and pulled his wife into his arms. He held her against his chest and reveled in the feeling of her soft curves against him. She nuzzled against his chest and curled her arms around his back to pull him closer. 

“I think little Blaze is close to unlocking her Haki.” she said. 

“So soon?”

“Shanks was right, she is very intelligent. Sharp too, she notices things no normal kid would. Makes me wonder about her mother.”

“Haha, the sea only knows her brain didn’t come from her father, as much as everything else did.” Ray laughed thinking about Blaze’s father as a kid. Full of spirit and passion? Yes. Brains? Never. Buggy was always the brains of the operation of the two cabin boys.

“You should take her into town with you. It’d do her good to get some real-world experience,” Shakky said. 

“You think so? she’s awfully young…”

“Yes. I think it’d be great for you two to spend time together.”

“Oh well then….If you think so. I’ll take her to town next week then.”

“Good,” she said. Looking up at him with her warm eyes that only Ray got to see, Shakky tilted her head to the side. At the unspoken signal, Ray couldn’t help but grin roughishly at her as he leaned down to meet his wife in a kiss. 

God, he loved the woman.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to disguise yourself in a drug den/ living out long forgotten coffee shop AU's

Avoiding Celestial Dragons was easy on Sabaody. They were slow and their arrival came after furious whispers warning of their coming. If you paid attention to the whispers on the wind, you really could avoid them easily. 

Avoiding slavers was another story. 

They were everywhere. As much as they were technically only supposed to go after criminals, most people were fair game. Especially in the lawless area where Blaze lived. 

She’d learned quickly how to escape notice in the crowded areas of the shopping district and amusement park, but it was a little different in the eerie atmosphere of Grove 13. Her first year on the mangroves had been filled with paranoid looks over her shoulder. She stayed close to Uncle Ray and never strayed far from the bar without him.

Now, almost three years into her time with her foster parents, Blaze had laid her claim on Grove 13. 

The mangrove had once been scary and eerie. Now, it was downright frightening. Blaze kept up a constant heavy fog in the area. When she felt someone she didn’t recognize enter her fog, she’d trigger her wind traps to create spooky noises and ominous groans that echoed around the trees. 

Grove 13 quickly became known as the most haunted place on the Sabaody Archipelago. Helped along with some helpful rumors Blaze was kind enough to spread. 

The girl was quite pleased with herself. Even if Shakky told her she was scaring off customers. 

“If they’re scared of a little mist, they don’t have anything worth hearing anyway!” Was her retort. 

Blaze could admit to being a little inspired by her father’s nickname for her. But honestly, Shakky had rubbed off on her too. The women may complain but Blaze knew she liked the eerie atmosphere. If fit her dark and mysterious aesthetic to a tee. 

Right now, the girl was heading toward to shopping district. She was disguised as a black-haired teenager, slightly on the short side and with slim curves. Shakky had begun teaching her the Art of Disguise last year when Uncle Ray finally deemed her strong enough to wander about the mangroves on her own. 

According to Shakky, she was a natural. In fact, Blaze was just a desperate learner. Changing her appearance to make herself look older? To differentiate herself from her father? The idea was intoxicating to her. 

Shakky’s lessons in body language and cleverly place words were invaluable. She might never be as skilled as the older woman, but she’d learned more from her about life than anyone else. 

Uncle Ray taught her too when he had time. His lessons were no where near as fun and left her bruised, sweaty, and exhausted every time. 

She had learned how to use haki though, and it was almost worth the pain he put her through. Her observation was by far the strongest, even though Uncle Ray told her she was cheating with her Fog. He’d threatened to cuff her with seastone cuffs more than once. He hadn’t followed through on it yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

Armament was difficult for her. She could crush rocks in her bare hands, which was a heady feeling. But she was terrible at coating her limbs or large patches of her body.

Ray had told her many times that one day she’d be shot by a round of seastone bullets and be regretting not working harder blah blah blah. She usually tuned him out at that point. 

Blaze’s plan was just to never get shot. Shouldn’t be too hard. She didn’t plan on getting into many fights. 

The point being, with Shakky and Uncle Ray’s help, she had her independence back.

Sure the heeled boots she was wearing to look taller hurt her feet and the pads on her hips and chest made her sweat. But with careful application of contour and an eyebrow pencil, she could pass for Shakky’s teen daughter. Which had been her inspiration in the first place. 

She was sure if her father could see her now though he’d have a heart attack. 

The bustling of the shopping center came into view quickly. She hopped off her bubble bike, a gift from Shanks before he left, and made her way through the crowd. 

Blaze meandered through the crowd, keeping her ears open for anything interesting. She had a destination in mind. A cafe towards the center of the district was owned by one of Shakky’s friends and Blaze was going to interview for a job.

She needed money and she didn’t feel comfortable asking Shakky and Uncle Ray for any, even though she knew they had a fortune from Shakky’s savvy business acumen and Ray’s sticky fingers.

She helped out at the bar but considered that just part of her chores. Plus, she wanted to get out of the house and make some friends of her own. Shakky had recommended the cafe as a great place to get her feet wet and also maybe hear some interesting gossip. 

They were both treating it as an undercover mission for her. She’d need to be disguised every day and stay under the radar. After all, no one would hire an eleven-year-old who looked even younger than that. Blaze had wanted to let out a truly unladylike snort the first time Shakky had told her she was mature for her age. With her disguise, she could pass for 15 or 16 easily. 

Blaze had three objectives here; infiltrate the cafe, assimilate into the daily life of the district, and aggregate the data into a weekly report for Shakky to judge her on. 

It was exciting for the girl, a chance to prove herself and earn some cash. 

Arriving at the cafe, she took a moment to take in her surrounding. It wasn’t what she was expecting. Her view of cafes had been colored by her old life where cafes were places to get coffee, study for exams, and people watch. This cafe was more like a high-class French bistro. There were waiters wearing starch white button-downs, table cloths, and flaky pastries garnished to within an inch of their lives. 

It was exactly the type of place rich people would be likely to gather and gossip, spilling information without a care for the surrounding staff. 

The maitre’d welcomed her as she approached the front. “Welcome to the Bistro, just one today?”

“Hello,” Blaze said, lowering her voice into the husky drawl she’d practice. Modeled off Shakky, of course. “I’m to meet with Ricardo?”

“Ah, yes. We’ve been expecting you. Right, this way.” He led her to the back, past the kitchen, and down a plush hallway. A door to her left opened as a waiter came out and she caught a glimpse of a lush dining room hidden from the view of the rest of the cafe. The maitre’d knocked on a door to her right and a smooth voice called out for them to enter. 

She followed after him into a decadent office, with rich mahogany and red tapestries adorning the walls. “Sir, a guest for you.”

A tall man who she assumed was Shakky’s friend Ricardo stood as she came to a stop in front of his desk. “Thank you, Frederick.” he dismissed the Maitre’d who left with a small bow. “Welcome, Blaze, isn’t it? Shakky’s told me about you. Please take a seat.” he gestured with his hand towards to leather chair at her side. 

“Yes, I'm Blaze. Thank you for your time today.” She inclined her head in respect. 

“Now,” he said as he settled back into his chair. “I hear you want a job. A little young, no?”

“Yes, but I’m a very hard worker. I’ve been helping Shakky at her bar for years.”

“I see. Looking for brighter pastures then?”

“I’d like to serve a more sophisticated personal. The bar is… well, its not quite reputable employment.”

Ricardo laughed. It was a smooth, velvety sound. Blaze could see how Shakky and the man were friends from that alone. Both adults exuded a sensuality that most people lacked. 

“Well, that’s true enough. I suppose I can take a chance on you. Everyone starts in the back of the house. You have to work up to anything else.”

Blaze grinned. “Thank you for the opportunity, sir.” She’d done it! Step one, success!

He laughed again. “Don’t thank me yet. I want you here at 6 AM in the morning. Frederick will get you settled with a uniform before you leave. I expect nothing but the best from you. I know Shakky would settle for nothing less.”

——-

When Ricardo had told her she’d start at the back of the house, she’d assumed dishwashing or scrubbing toilets. And while there was a fair amount of that, there was also the absolute whirlwind of the pastry chefs, the clamor of the waiters, and the dramatic wails of the coffee roasters. The bistro was actually several times larger than she’d thought. Hidden stories on the top and in the basement hid large coffee roasting machines, huge ovens, and an innumerable number of secret rooms. Most were storage, many were locked, and Blaze found out pretty quickly that Ricardo was actually running an illegal drug trade out off one of the secret tunnels that led to a back alley.

She found out due to being put in the basement and charged with cleaning the place, top to bottom. It wasn’t filthy, but it was huge. While she would have complained about not being near the customers, and therefore unable to hear the juicy gossip, she was actually pretty content. When she wasn’t cleaning, she was helping the roaster with the beans or the chefs with preparing ingredients. 

This job had been a stroke of extremely good fortune. Blaze was very sneaky and unobtrusive, something Shakky had honed in her through the years. With her devil fruit powers on top of that, she could send her mist out to listen in on private conversations in the many locked rooms of the Bistro. Not the mention all the gossip she heard in the kitchen. The waiters also happened to provide context if she looked even slightly confused. She never met a chattier person than one purple-haired waitress named Saki who seemed to exist in a constant haze of excitability. 

As much as Blaze wasn’t exactly eager to be a criminal, she was realistic enough to admit she came from a family of them. Her dad, Shakky, and Uncle Ray would all be arrested on sight if the marines could manage it. 

With everything Blaze heard going on at the Bistro, she learned enough to know that there probably wasn’t a single person on Sabaody who wasn’t breaking the law in some way.

From relatively minor things like selling information, trading drugs, black-market deals over rare or contraband items to major things like contracted murder, slavery, and blackmail. 

Apparently, the Bistro served as a sort of meeting place for people looking to hire others for less than legal things. 

Once upon a time, Blaze had daydreamed about working as a cute barista in a cafe and falling in love with a flirty customer over their shared love of novels and passion for saving the rainforest. Now that she worked in a cafe, she realized quickly why that had always remained a fantasy. 

This place and everyone who worked here was absolutely nuts. They were like Uncle Ray, putting on a facade of normality and hiding the insanity underneath. Blaze wouldn’t be fooled though, she could see through their thin veneers. They could act innocent all they wanted, but she’d always remember the first time she’d eavesdropped on a private conversation between Saki and a woman who’d been paying her for a successful hit. 

Saki wasn’t the only waitress who moonlighted as a hitman in her free time. Blaze was sure they all were hiding some sort of dark secret and she was determined to find them all out. It was her first real information gathering mission and she refused to fail!

———

The Archipelago was in an uproar as the marines started to crack down on crime in anticipation of the Reverie of 1516. Many of the world nobles would be stopping at Sabaody before Mary Geoise and again before they left in order to stock up their ships and do some shopping. 

Everyone knew Sabaody was at the heart of the slave trade but the marines tried to uphold their thin moral principles by renaming the auction houses as “Public Employment Security Offices.”

Blaze would never get used to seeing the collared people who walked through the shopping district, burdened by their master’s bags and sometimes led by chains wrapped around their limbs. It was disgusting to her. Most of the other occupants of Sabaody were desensitized to it. They grew up seeing runaway slaves get their heads blown off and living in a constant state of fear of being captured by slavers. 

The marine base on the island offered little in the way of protection. They were there to keep order and protect the celestial dragons. They weren’t going to protect anyone unless something was in it for them. 

She’d been cautious lately. While the marines didn’t have any reason to detain her, Blaze had a bad feeling in her gut. Something was happening on the island and she didn’t know what it was. 

Shakky knew and told her not to worry. The women had been very pleased with her weekly reports of the things she learned while working at the Bistro. Blaze didn’t know what she was doing with the information but secretly thought the women just like knowing things. 

The bell chimed overhead as she arrived home at the bar after her shift. With her thoughts consumed with suspicious musings, she almost missed the man seated at the bar. Once she realized who it was though, her eyes widened. 

She had no reason to recognize this man on sight, he had no bounty poster yet and she’d never met him in this life. But Blaze knew without a shadow of doubt that she was staring at the face of Dragon the revolutionary. A long-forgotten conversation came to mind then, between Jinbe and Shakky when the warlord was warning them away from the revolutionary. Guess he finally came to recruit them, she thought. 

“I’m home,” she called out as she stepped through the door. Already the forest around them was becoming heavy with fog as she spread her sense to try and see if there were other revolutionaries hiding in the mist. 

“Welcome home, darling,” Shakky replied. Blaze moved to put her red sweater on a hook behind the bar, feeling heavy eyes watch her every move. “Go get cleaned up and join us.”

“Okay.” Blaze moved toward her room so she could wash her face and take off her wig. As much as she loved the freedom her disguise gave her, it was terribly itchy. And if Shakky said it was okay to be herself in front of Dragon, she trusted her judgement. 

She let her hair fall down her back as she changed into her favorite blue tank top and shorts. It was chilly outside but Shakky always kept the bar warm. She scrubbed her face with the face wash Shakky bought for her then massaged in the lotion that Shakky said would keep her skin smooth and young forever. Blaze would be skeptical if she didn’t know the woman was nearly sixty and still looked hot enough to leave burns.

Walking back out to the bar, she hopped onto the footstool Shakky kept so she could see over the counter and still serve customers. The two adults were sitting in silence as Dragon looked over some documents and the older woman smoked. 

“Blaze, this is Dragon. An old friend.” Shakky nodded at the huge man. He looked up from his papers and nodded politely. 

“Nice to meet you,” Blaze said before what the bartender had said penetrated. Old friend? 

“I hear I have you to think for the information that helped us bring down Whiteshell’s slave fighting ring.” Dragon spoke up. 

Blaze’s eyes widened, she looked from Shakky and Dragon. “You’ve been selling my information to the revolutionaries?!” She asked her mentor, truly shocked. 

“Of course, darling. I’m an information broker after all.”Shakky smiled mysteriously. 

“I thought you were just testing me!” She accused while running through every report she’d ever written for the women. She tended to ramble in a very unprofessional manner since she’d thought it been for Shakky’s eyes only. 

“That too,” Shakky agreed easily. 

Dragon chuckled at her. “You’re very good, for a kid.”

Blaze could feel herself blush, more flustered than she usually allowed herself to get. “Thank you, that’s a big compliment, coming from you.”

“She is my little protege,” Shakky said, a proud little smirk edging in on her painted lips

The blush on her face heated her cheeks. She was sure it looked unflattering on her cheeks when paired with her blazing red hair, but Shakky words really did mean a lot to her. 

“Say.. how’d you like to join the revolutionary army?” Dragon asked out of the blue. 

“What?”Blazed asked reflexively, sure she’d heard him wrong with how flustered she was. 

“Shakky’s told me about your strong sense of justice. With your skills, you could help save innocent lives. The world is filled with evil. Especially in a place like this. I could really use someone like you.” Dragon’s words were alluring in way that spoke to Blaze’s soul. In both lives, she had never felt more intoxicated than with the idea of being needed. 

She glanced at Shakky but the women only gazed back at her blandly, letting her make her own decision. 

“But… don’t you have Shakky?” She asked, prodding for more information. 

Dragon nodded. “Yes, and she is invaluable to the cause. But information comes to her and sometimes I need someone to go to the information.”

He was saying he wanted her to actively spy on people? She was just a kid! Albeit, a grown woman trapped in a kid’s body but still…. 

He let her think about it for a moment, “The winds of change are upon us, Blaze. You may be young yet, but I can see in your eyes that you can handle what I’m asking of you. It won’t be easy, you could die or worse. But one day kids like you won’t have to hide from the government and slaves won’t exist. Freedom will be something granted to everyone, fishman, slave, even the children of notorious pirates.” He aimed a sly glance at Shanks’ wanted poster on the last point. 

It was frightening, what he was asking of her. She has never been asked to help change the world before even if that had always been a distant dream of hers, a nice fantasy. She’d learned quickly in her last life that it was enough to just survive. In this life though, she had the skills. She could make a difference. And what was she training with Shakky and Uncle Ray for anyway?

“I’m an information broker.” Blaze finally answered after mulling it over. “I won’t sign away my life to you. But I’m willing to get information for you.” Blaze glanced over at Shakky. “For a price.” She added.

Dragon let out a loud bark of laughter. Blaze smiled when she saw the proud glint in Shakky eyes. “But I like you, so you can get a discount.”

Dragon smiled at her, it was a terrifying thing. The glint in his eye promising that he could take on the world and shoulder the weight of it without flinching. “Oh? A discount. How generous.” he teased her. 

“And maybe one day, when I’m older I might change my mind. Okay?” She asked. Blaze was acting confident, shoulders back and head held high as Shakky taught her. But it was an act and the butterflies in her stomach were nearly overwhelming. 

Dragon held out a hand to her and she grasped it. He developed her entire hand and wrist in his large grasp as they shook on it. “Deal.”

——-


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you think you're grown and adults let you make your own bad decisions. Oh well, you live and you learn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the typos. If I don't post it now then I never will. One day I will fix it, but not today. Also, like what do yall thinks so far???
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to StudiosMusings and her story, L’Appel du Vide. Highly recommend it, its so good. Her story is the reason mine exists. I was def inspired by her.

Blaze was proud of the work she was doing for Dragon and the revolutionaries. She knew Shakky and Uncle Ray were proud of her too. They made sure she was strong and capable and they protected her, but they let her make her own decisions. In her old world, letting an eleven-year-old have the same freedom would have been unheard of. 

In this world, Uncle Ray made good on his promise to bring out the seastone cuffs and Blaze ended most days with her body a colorful mess from old and new bruises. 

On the plus side, her armament was coming along nicely. She knew she was incredibly lucky to be trained by him. He was arguably one of the most powerful people alive. It was just an incredibly painful experience. Not to mentioned disheartening. She was so outclassed it wasn't even funny. 

Shakky had doubled down on her training as well. Before he had left, Dragon had told her what he wanted her to do and while it terrified her, she was determined to succeed. This world was nearly rotten to its core. She was going to change it. What else was the point of her being here if not to make a change? This wasn’t a story anymore. This was her life, her family. One day, she’d have children on these seas and she wanted them to be free. 

Dragon had been right when he tried to recruit her. As much as she tried to repress it, the injustice in this world burned underneath her skin. The purpose that filled her with this new direction her life was taking was exhilarating. 

Between her work at the Bistro, her increased training with Uncle Ray and Shakky, and preparing for her mission for Dragon, Blaze’s free time was booked. 

Ricardo was exacting in his requirements of her but granted her the week of the Reverie off when she requested it. She didn’t mention anything to him but he watched her with dark eyes sometimes. It made her wonder about his history with Shakky. She’d been a pirate once upon a time and Blaze was suspicious that they’d been on the same crew together. It was just speculation, of course, but well-founded in her opinion. 

In the weeks leading up to the 1516 Reverie, Blaze was busy. Dragon wanted her to infiltrate the Reverie and report back to him everything of interest. It was a lot to ask, he knew that and so did she. She was charging him an obscene amount of money for it, even with his discount. But she was confident she could do it. If she was careful and planned it out. 

The first step was getting to Mary Geoise. 

Blaze had two options there. Get captured by slave traders and sold to a Celestial Dragon, therefore earning a free ride up the bondolas. Uncle Ray did this all the time, so theoretically it would be fine. 

Blaze wasn’t an absolute nutcase like Uncle Ray though and therefore thought this idea was fucking stupid. 

The second option was sneaking in and then acting as if she belonged. She was much fonder of this option, especially when she remembered Princess Vivi would be in attendance with King Cobra and so another little girl roaming around wouldn’t necessarily look out of place. With her Fog Fog fruit, she could easily mask her presence to those without haki, keeping her hidden from those who would harm her. 

The problem arose from those few who had Haki. She knew Garp the Fist would be in attendance, along with a number of other marines who had access to Haki. Not to mention any of the royal companions who accompanied their lieges. 

Blaze’s hope was that there would be so many strange and unfamiliar presences that her small, unobtrusive aura wouldn’t stand out. 

The three weeks she had to prepare passed in the blink of an eye. Two days before the Reverie was set to begin, she packed a bag full of everything she thought she might need. Food, disguises, and a seastone gun (given to her by Shakky) all found their way into her bag. She’d be gone for 10 days if all went well. 

Shakky was sat on her bed as the girl packed. Blaze could tell there was a small part of the older woman that didn’t want to let her go. She also knew that Shakky was a person who took in the bigger pictures in every situation and knew the importance of what Blaze was doing. She was confident in Blaze's abilities. 

Blaze knew her dad would be furious if he knew what she was getting up to. Too bad he was on the other side of the Red Line, well on his way to becoming a legend. 

Uncle Ray was worried too. But he’d been through so much in his life that her little mission barely fazed him. He had faith in her too and was hoping she could find faith in herself by completing this mission. 

A sudden movement from her bed pulled Blaze’s attention towards Shakky. “Here,” the older woman said as she held out a syringe full of some mysterious clear liquid. “A few drops in someone’s drink and they won’t remember the past 24 hours. Some side-effects, but nothing to worry about.”

Blaze took the syringe. Roofies? she thought. “Thanks?” She said.

“Just in case,” Shakky winked. 

“I’ll be okay, Shakky Don’t worry about me.” Blaze said.

“Ha,” She scoffed. “To quote your father, ‘its a parent’s prerogative.’”

Blaze felt her eyes burn as her head whipped around to stare at Shakky. She took in the woman’s sharp gaze and clenched fist. She’d never seen her look so concerned before. “I love you too, you know.” She said. 

Shakky turned a smile her way. “I know, darling. Your Uncle Ray and I love you dearly.”

Blaze looked down at her bag again so Shakky wouldn’t see her watery eyes. She had the best foster parents a girl could ask for.

——

One of the good things about being mist was that she wasn’t burdened by human emotions like frustration, fear, or hope. She just was. She knew who she was, anchored by her purpose, but she wasn’t worried. 

Blaze would be the first to admit that she’d grown since Shanks had pulled her back into reality all those years ago. 

Now, she couldn’t lose herself in the mist. She had too many anchors for that to be a worry. 

The girl had attached herself to the Alabasta delegation for the sheer fact that she thought she had a good handle on their personalities. King Cobra and Princess Vivi, accompanied by Pell, Igaram, Chaka, and a platoon of marines led by Captain T Bone. 

They’d arrived on Sabaody the day before. Blaze had found them mere hours after their ship docked. King Cobra had ordered the crew to stay on the archipelago and restock while he and his retainers left for Mary Geoise. 

Blaze admired his restraint. Obviously, the king was smart enough to know it was a bad idea to bring commoners to the Holy Land. They’d likely be executed for breathing too loudly in the presence of a Celestial Dragon. 

The day the Alabasta royal family departed to Mary Geoise was the day a heavy fog fell onto the archipelago. It followed the Royal Family and the marine ship they were on all the way from Sabaody to the Red Port and then up the Red Line and settled heavily over the holy city. Vivi could be heard complaining to her father about how she couldn’t see anything. Pell, the kingdom's strongest warrior, could be heard explaining the science behind fog to the young princess. 

When the bandola reach the holy land of Mary Geoise, Blaze let herself dissipate through the entire kingdom. It was easy to piggyback off the clouds and fog that surrounded the city. It was so high up that Blaze had little trouble coaxing the clouds to settle over the city. It reminded her a lot of the childhood she had spent on her home island, surrounded by clouds and chasing the local wildlife with her mist. It was a heavy sort of nostalgia, burdened by the reality of the memory. 

Thinking on it, Blaze really did have an advantage in this arena. She knew about the five elders. She knew about Dragon. She knew about Haki and the powers of many of the hidden players. The only thing she was missing was specifics. Blaze had forgotten (or maybe she never knew) quite a bit about the history of her new world. 

It was a strange feeling, letting herself disperse into numerous particles. Once, she had been terrified of the feeling. Scared of losing herself to powers she didn’t understand. Now, she was confident in her control. She knew how her powers worked and she was holding the reins. 

Blaze let herself settle on top of the kingdom of Mary Geoise, spread thinly over every inch of the space. Vaguely, she was aware of the King Cobra and Princess Vivi heading for a hotel. She was also aware of 3 slaves talking lowly in the basement of a noble’s home as they bandaged each other from a beating they’d received for some imagined slight. She could sense a young woman complaining to her father that her tea time cake had been lemon-flavored instead of chocolate and the head baker needed to be disposed of immediately.

She floated from conversation to conversation, never staying too long and indifferent to the plights of strangers. She couldn’t have an opinion after all. Opinions required intent and intent attracted observation haki. Blaze was the mist in the air, the water droplets in the wind She was nothing. There was nothing to observe. 

In the depth of a forest on top of the Red Line, a small form began to appear in the mist. It was a small, red-haired girl. The girl took out a notebook and pen from her bag and began to write. The girl would write continuously for the next ten days, stopping only to eat periodically or sleep in increments when her eyes could not stay open for a second longer or her hand could no longer hold her pen. 

——

Dragon, 

Below lies my observation from the 1516 Reverie on Mary Geoise. The meeting was overseen by the Five Elders, a group of celestial dragons who seem to hold great authority. They held a pretense of absolute authority in front of the other world nobles, but I heard them address a being call Im when meeting in secret. This Im seems to be to true authority of the world government. He holds some mysterious power I was not able to ascertain. 

The five elders themselves seem to hold some great disdain for the kingdom of Alabasta. I overheard them discussing the Warlord Crocodile and his plan to overthrow King Cobra. The five elders seem content to let it happen without warning the kingdom. As far as I can tell, it’s revenge for the Nobility of Alabasta refusing to move to Mary Geoise some 800 years ago when the rest of the other world nobles did. 

They mentioned you often, Dragon. They are worried about your influence. Worried enough they brought it up with the twenty royal families. The issue they brought up the most was your distribution of anti-government propaganda in the Blues. They settled on issuing a high bounty for you but there were whispers of more direct actions. 

They also decided to name Shanks a Yonko. His influence in the New World is undeniable. After his clash with Big Mom, the five elders have recognized him as a threat. This was a concern they shared with the 20 royal families who reluctantly agreed. 

A concern they did not share was the threat of Donflamingo Donquiote to a kingdom called Dressrosa. The man is a warlord and has laid claim to the kingdom. The five elders have decided not to act due to the man’s former status as a celestial dragon and the fact one of their undercover agent was executed by the Donquixote Pirates. I don't know how they came this information, but they referenced an informant several times and I believe the warlord may have other spies in his ranks. 

The twenty royal families discussed the death of Otohime and the impact it would have on Fishman/human relations. As King Neptune was not in attendance, no progress was made on that front. On the last day of the Reverie, news came that Fishman Island was now under the protection of Whitebeard. No one received this news well and several of the nobles nearly came to blows over it. 

By far the most interesting information came to light when the five elders believed themselves alone. They chose to not share this with the royal families, but the five elders have begun to make moves to acquire an ancient weapon called “pluton.” They tried to wipe out the knowledge of it with the destruction of an island called Ohara, but there was one survivor that rendered their effort useless. A little girl named Nico Robin who can read ancient texts; she is being actively hunted and the five elders seem keen on her capture. 

They’ve also discovered that Tom the fishman, from Water 7, might have been in possession of blueprints for the ancient weapon and have decided to dispatch a team of Cipher-pol agents undercover to Water 7 to retrieve the blueprints. 

I do not know what the ancient weapon does, but the way they spoke of it worried me. It would be in the world’s best interest to ensure the weapon never fell into their hands. I received the impression the Five Elders had a hidden agenda other than keeping order, as the selective information they shared to the others versus the information they kept to themselves was suspicious. 

Additionally, below is my observation of each of the royals and their companions as well as the Celestial Dragons I observed…….

——

On the last day of the Reverie, Blaze was incredibly close to getting away with the entire affair, no worse for wear. She was tired, hungry for Shakky's cooking, and mentally drained but on the whole unharmed. 

Unfortunately, her curiosity got the better of her. She’d packed up and began to stick close to the Alabasta royal family again in preparation of riding the bandola down with them when Wapol, the king of the Drum Kingdom, mounted an attack on the ten-year-old Princess Vivi. Blaze was poised to strike back, her intentions blazing a bright flare for anyone with an ounce of observation Haki. Before she could react, Pell was protecting the princess. Diplomatic talk between the two countries ensured as Blaze retreated. 

Damn, she thought distantly. That was close. 

The moment King Cobra arrived with Igaram and Chaka to take Princess Vivi away, a harsh swipe of blackened claws swept through the foggy air, forcibly pulling Blaze from the mist. She crashed to the ground, clutching a bloody arm to her chest. 

“What the hell!” She yelped. "What was that for?”

Pell glanced down at her bloodied form, the widening of his eyes the only hint she got that he'd not been expected someone like her. “Threats to the royal family are to be taken out immediately.”

“Do I look like a fucking threat to you? Huh?” She accused the birdman, the bleeding of her arm not slowing in the slightest. The hell was his problem? Holy shit her arm hurt. 

“I don’t know,” he cocked his head. “Are you?”

“No!” Blaze exclaimed stubbornly. 

“Then why were you following the princess?” The falcon asked. 

“I wasn’t! I just saw a little girl my age about to be attacked by that mean old guy. I didn’t know she was a princess.” Blaze explained, starting to get worried about the amount of blood she was losing. She looked down at her wound and saw a flash of white. Oh, shit was that bone? He’d hit her with armament covered talons, she couldn’t phase through it. 

“A likely story,” Pell said. Though to give him credit, he was starting to look worried about the amount of blood she was losing too. It was starting to pool underneath her. Any more and it’d look like a murder scene. “You’re not a celestial dragon, why are you here?”

Blaze glared at the man with tears in her eyes. “My dad owns a bistro on Sabaody. I helped deliver the pastires this morning.” She was starting to feel faint. If she didn’t get out of there fast, she’d be in trouble. 

She didn’t know if it was because he bought her story or just felt sorry for her, but the falcon of Alabasta knelt down next to her and grabbed at her arm to look at her wound. 

“Hmm, that’s deep. Do you have bandages?” He asked.

“Why would I have bandages, you ass!? You did it! Why don’t you have bandages!” She accused, incensed with his calm demeanor. Her anger made her light-headed and she swayed, furious and scared. 

“If you hadn’t been sneaking around like that, you wouldn’t have been hurt.” He said.

“I wasn’t trying to get killed by a celestial dragon! You absolute psycho. What’s wrong with you?! Don’t you have any compassion! You just mauled a little girl!”

Blaze would have continued to yell at him if she hadn’t felt her vision darkening at the corning. She swayed where she sat and would have fallen back if the man hadn’t caught her. 

“You’ve lost a lot of blood,” he observed. 

Blaze scowled at the bird man. He was her new least favorite person. Seeing as her bleeding didn’t seem like it was going to stop on its own, Blaze took off her sweater and tried to wrap it around her arm. It was sloppy due in part to her inexperience with wound care and in part due to her clumsiness from the bloodloss. 

Pell reached out when he saw her struggling, fashioning a makeshift tourniquette easily. “You’re an awful person,” She said. 

“Is that any way to talk to some who’s saving your life?” he asked calmly. 

“YOU ENDANGERED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!”

“Oh well…“ was his only excuse. “I can take you back to your father?” he offered. 

Blaze leveled a suspicious look at him through her red-rimmed eyes. “The minute I let my guard down, I bet you murder me in this alley.”

Pell looked offended. “I would never. I’m a guard of the royal family of Alabasta. I don’t murder people.”

“Likely story,” she muttered. But Blaze was practical when it counted and aware enough to take advantage of situations when they presented themselves. “Okay, you can take me back to my father. ”

Pell nodded and scooped her into his arms. “Very well. We plan to leave in an hour. Don’t die in the meantime and you should be fine.”

Blaze had a feeling that Pell was one of those people really good at fighting and really bad a people. If she was a normal eleven-year-old girl, she’d probably be catatonic with shock. As it was, she was trying her hardest to put on a pained and irritated air while hiding her absolute terror. 

She needed to get out of this city and her best bet was with the Alabasta delegation. Incorporeal or not, as long as she was on the bondola down it should be fine. 

————

Pell brought her straight to Igaram. The captain of the guard took her from Pell’s arms immediately to look at her wound and leveled a glare at the falcon man. He didn’t say anything in front of her, but Blaze knew that Pell would be getting an earful later. She couldn’t help but stick her tongue out him over Igaram’s shoulder. Pell just scowled at her. 

Igaram did have bandages on him although he said she would need stitches. “My dad knows how to give stitches,” she said. 

“Lucky for you then little miss,” he said as he wrapped the deep gouges in her arm. Now that the bleeding had slowed Blaze could certainly see her bone now. She resolutely refused to look at it. “You’re being very brave. You must excuse Pell, we are all very on edge here.”

Blaze sighed heavily, based on what she’d learned about the Five Elders plans for the kingdom of Alabasta, they had every right to be on edge. “It's fine.” She said. “You’d have to be crazy to let your guard down in a place like this.”

Igaram let out a little laugh. “Wise words, little one.” 

Pell approached from behind her once her arm was wrapped again. “We need to rejoin the princess and King Cobra.” 

“Right. Can you stand?” He asked her. Blaze took Igaram’s hand when he offered it. She stood, unsteadily and woozy, but standing. As they walked to rejoin the royal family, Blaze did her best to remain conscious. She was really regretting not practicing more with her armament haki right now. Igaram carried most of her weight, with Pell half a step behind the two. 

Chaka noticed them first as they approached, but he remained silent until King Cobra looked up from where he was comforting a distraught Vivi, shaken from her encounter with the king of the drum kingdom. 

“Whats happened here?” He asked as they approached. Vivi looking curiously at Blaze and her bloodstained sweater. 

“An accident, your highness,” Pell said. “I’ve promised to help this child find her father.”

“I see.” the king said. “You look about my daughter's age. I am Cobra and this is Vivi. What's your name?”

“Blaze, sir.” She nodded respectfully. “Nice to meet you both.”

“You look very pale,” Vivi chimed in. “Are you okay? That looks like a lot of blood.”

“That's because it is a lot of blood,” Blaze responded. “I’ve never lost so much before.”

Vivi came closer to inspect her wrapped arm. “Me neither. Did you fall? I love your hair by the way. It's so pretty, it looks like the sunsets in my kingdom.”

Blaze smiled at the girl. “I like your hair too. It reminds me of the sea. And it looks so silky, what do you use?”

The girls chatted together, Vivi seeming to recover from her earlier upset and the men trailing behind them as they headed towards to bondolas. Blaze kept half an ear on the conversation behind her, hoping to hear something she could add in her report to Dragon. 

It was mostly just Pell explaining what had happened and Igaram scolding him for not having better control. King Cobra hummed to show his engagement but even Blaze could tell he was attention was elsewhere. 

“So where’s your dad?” Vivi asked. 

“Down at the Red Port. I’m supposed to meet him there so we can take our boat back to Sabaody. He has a bakery there.”

“A bakery? Thats so cool. I love the pastries here. We don’t have stuff like that back home. Its really different”

“What sort of sweets do you have then?” Blazed asked, curious about Alabasta cuisine. 

“Well, our pastries have a lot of nuts, honey, and coconut. My favorite is called Deblah and it has hazelnuts and pine nuts and lemon syrups. But I also love the Baklava Igaram’s wife makes, it has pistachios and honey and it's so good but….”

Blaze lets the little girl’s chatter wash over her. It was good for distracting her from the pain in her arm and kept her focused. She was feeling incredibly woozy and nausea was threatening to overcome her. 

She was thinking about when would be the best moment to escape from the royals and their delegation. When the bondola reached the port? She could claim to see her nonexistent dad and run away before they could reach her. But then, she had stowed away on the marine ship with them to arrive here. Now that she knew Pell at least had Haki, she wasn’t risking that again. 

Blaze supposed she could always let the mist take her back. Just dissolve and hope for the best. The chances of her getting lost were high, which is why she hadn’t done that to get here. 

But before, Blaze hadn’t known where the Red Port that led to Mary Geoise was. Now, she knew where it was and where Sabaody. Theoretically, she could let the mist carry her home. 

The more she thought about it the more she liked that idea. What's life without a little risk, anyway?

———

Five hours later and Blaze was absolutely regretting her choices in life. If she’d been at full strength it probably would have been fine. But she was missing what felt like all the blood in her body and she’d never actually traveled so far in the mist before. The most she had done was use it to scare people who ventured into Grove 13 unaware. 

Slipping away from the Alabasta delegation was simple. After that, she’d simply created a heavy fog and dispersed herself so she could safely drift away from the port towards Sabaody. She felt herself fall into the same unfeeling state she’d been in for the last ten days. It was effortless to her now. 

The problem arose when the sun set and she still hadn’t spotted the mangroves. She’d also lost sight of the marine ship ferrying the royals. The problem was that she was slow. Without sails to catch the wind, Blaze was reduced to creeping along at a snail's pace. 

Blaze wouldn’t say she was lost, but the sea crashing below her, the solid wall of neverending rock at her side, and the open sky above definitely weren’t comforting. 

At this point she was running on fumes. She was going to have to rest. The crags and ridges in the Red Line weren’t ideal, but they were her only option. She spotted a large overhang ahead and drifted towards it. 

She settled herself ontop of the precipice, reforming her body and feeling her bag dig into her shoulder. She was exhausted. 

It reminded her of a similar night years ago, when she’d hidden on the seaward side of a boulder to hide from the pirates who’d burned her home to the ground in a futile attempt to find something that Blaze was pretty sure they never found. 

Blaze felt light hit her face and opened her eyes. It was morning and she didn't remember falling asleep. She felt like crap. Heaving herself up, she watched where the first rays of dawn were creeping over the horizon. She let herself enjoy the beauty of it before once more dissipating and drifting towards Sabaoady, the Red Line guiding her way. 

She swore to never travel by mist again. 

——-

Shakky welcomed her home with a hug and hustled her straight to the bathroom. Her would still needed stitches and she was caked in salt thrown up from the sea. Blaze let her work in a haze. Before she knew it, Shakky had force fed her some soup and bundled her into her bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. 

She woke up a full day later. Woken by her ravenous hunger and loud voices at the bar. 

Blaze crawled out of her bed and headed towards to front, stopping only to grab a sweater. She was freezing. She barely acknowledged the semi-familiar person at the bar and headed straight for the fridge to grab leftover soup. She looked around until Shakky came into view and aimed a truly pitiful look her way. 

“Oh darling, don’t look at me like that. Give it here, I’ll warm it up.” the older woman said as she took the soup from Blaze. 

The girl stared blankly into space while she waited until the ignored person at the bar spoke up. 

“Sick, girly?” Blaze looked over. It was Den, Uncle Ray’s ship coating friend. She nodded, not feeling up for words yet. She liked Den, he was always nice and cheerful when he came around, which wasn’t often as he spent most of his time researching the Sea Forests around Fishman Island. 

She took her warm bowl from Shakky and sat down to eat. The bartender set a glass of orange juice down next to her. “Drink up, vitamin C helps with bloodloss.”

Den cast her a dry look. “Been getting into fights, huh?” 

Blaze shook her head. “It was an accident. Some trigger happy Zoan bird type getting spooked and lashing out.”

“Those are some pretty deep gashes for an accident, darling.” Shakky commented. 

“Yeah, well he was using Haki.” She grumbled. 

“Ray’s not going to be happy to hear about that.” 

Blaze grunted. She knew Uncle Ray was going to use this as an excuse to step up her training and beat faster reaction times into her. It wasn’t going to be fun. He arm throbbed in protest at the thought. 

“I remember all the fights I used to get in at your age,” Den reminisced. “My brother Tom used to make me so mad. We’d fight ten times a day. Our poor mother…”

Blaze perked up a bit, interested in hearing more about the infamous Tom. “Tell me more?” She asked while giving him her best pitiful look. It wasn't hard. She'd caught a glimpse of herself before leaving her room and she looked pathetic. 

“Ahaha, Sure thing, girly! Whatever helps you feel better.”

———

Blaze let Shakky proofread her report before she left to hand it off to one of the revolutionaries stationed on the Island. It had been two days since she’d arrived back and three days since the end of the Reverie. 

A hooded figure met her on the edge of Grove 13. She handed over the sealed report and they handed over her payment. It was more money than she’d ever held but it was also way less than she should’ve charged for a mission like that. 

Hopefully, Dragon wouldn't ask anything more of her for at least a month. 

She had a life to get back to, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to kidnapp a suave, older man for a midnight rendezvous.

A year after the Blaze’s first official mission for Dragon, the girl woke up to her father’s blazing red hair leaning over her bed.

“SHANKS!” She yelled. Shooting up and tackling him in a hug. “You’re here? What? Why?”

“Hey, my little ghost! I’ve missed you. And haven’t you heard the news? I’m an Emperor now.” He chuckled next to her ear. Blaze wasn’t sure how she’d forgotten how her father sounded and smelled, but being held next to his chest was comforting in ways she couldn’t describe. “It's been too long.”

“You have to tell me everything,” She demanded as she released him from her arms so she could look him in the eyes.

He grabbed her arm to steady her and opened his mouth to reply before the raised scar tissue under his fingers grabbed his attention. He rubbed his thumb over the three deep gashes in her arm, “What happened here?” He asked her.

“A stupid bird zoan with haki.” Blaze scowled at the memory then brightened. “But look, we match now!” She held up her arm to his face where his own scars rested.

Shanks laughed. “We matched before, mini-me.” Blaze laughed with him. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her father until he was right in front of her again.

“Is everyone here? Yasopp and Benn too?”

“The whole crew. Plus some new guys we picked up. They’re on the island stretching their legs, they missed you too. "

“Really?” She asked. 

“It’s not been the same without you,” he confirmed. “I have a surprise for you if you want to get dressed.”

Blaze jumped out of her father’s arms and changed in the blink of an eye. She was vibrating with impatience as she stood ramrod straight in front of him less than a minute later. 

“HAHAHA, you should see your hair!” He laughed at her. Then brushed his hands down either side of her head to smooth out her bedhead. Blaze tried to scowl at him but her lips refused to turn down. Shanks was in the same boat, his grin bright enough to set an entire forest ablaze. 

He picked her up with his arm. She was twelve now, much too old to be carried around by her father. Especially when her father only had one arm but she didn’t protest at all.

At the bar, Shakky was laying out breakfast for them all. Uncle Ray was sitting at the bar drinking coffee and reading the paper, as he did every morning when he was home. Shanks settled next to him and set her on his knee.

Blaze could’ve been embarrassed, but she was too happy and surrounded by her family, it would have been a waste to not take advantage of the situation. 

Blaze listened as her father told her of his adventures over the past four years. Her eyes were wide with awe and disbelief; her father was an absolute badass.

“I’m so jealous,” Blaze whined midway through a story of Shanks’ narrow escape from the clutches of a tribe of cannibals. “I want to go on adventures like that.”

Her father smiled at her. “You will. One day when you’re older you are going to have the wildest adventures ever told. I just know it.”

Blaze liked the sound of that. She could see it now, Captain Blaze of the Foggy Pirates, the scourge of the seas, and feared 5th Yonko. Even Whitebeard would tremble before her might. Even her Dad would have to concede before her greater strength. Blaze really like that sound of that.

“You’ve already had quite a few adventures, Blaze. I don’t think my poor little heart could handle much more.” Shakky added from the other side of the bar where she was sipping her own coffee, breaking the girl from her fantasy. Blaze froze, a barely perceptible movement that Shanks missed but Shakky absolutely did not. The older woman smirked at her from over her mug. 

“Huh?” Shanks asked. “You’ve been having adventures? Well go on, tell me about all about it!” Shanks jostled her lightly from where she sat in his lap. 

“..ehhh,” Blaze said intelligently. “No no, nothing like that. Nothing as interesting as your stories. What happened after the lady cannibal bit off her girlfriend’s toe again? ” She tried to wave it off by redirecting back to him. 

“Nonsense!” Uncle Ray interjected from where he’d been quietly listening as he shoved his face full of breakfast. “The story behind your scar on your arm is quite adventurous! Not to mention those slave fighting rings you helped the revolutionaries take out. Or how you got that tattoo on the back of your neck…..”

“Tattoo?! Revolutionaries?!” Shanks yelped. His eyes were wide in disbelief. Blaze thought she understood why, but she really thought it was his own fault for leaving her here on Sabaody. He knew exactly what type of people he was leaving her in the care of and if he expected any different it was his own fault. 

“Or even when you saved those hitmen from the marines.” Shakky said. “That’s my favorite story.”

Shanks leveled a glare her way. “What the hell have you been getting up to?

Blaze felt a drop of sweat slide down the side of her face. She waved a hand in front of her face dismissively. “Oh, nothing.”

“I’m sure the local bounty hunters would disagree.” Uncle Ray chuckled. 

Her dad looked at the other adults incredulously, “bounty hunters?” He squeaked. Blaze would have been shocked at the noise that came out of the Yonko’s mouth if the same noise didn’t escape her a second later, as he turned the full force of his glare on her

———-

After narrowly escaping breakfast with her life, Shanks stole her away from the bar with a quick, “be back in a month.”

Blaze faintly heard Shakky say, “I’ll let Ricardo know.” She was grateful to her foster mother. She’d recently been promoted at the Bistro and would hate to lose her job. It was dead useful and she learned so much from her coworkers. 

“Who is this Ricardo?” Shanks asked suspiciously as he hauled her along towards his bubble bike. 

“Oh, just my boss.” Blaze said.

“Boss? Like in a gang? Did you join a gang, Blaze?! Is that why you have tattoos?” He asked frantically, shaking her by her shoulder. 

Dazed from the rough handling Blaze did her best to calm her dad. “No, oh my gosh, Shanks. Calm down! He is my boss at a bakery in the shopping district. One of Shakky’s friends. And I only have one tattoo.”

“Bakery, huh?” Shanks squinted suspiciously. “One of Shakky’s friends? I want to meet him.”

“Absolutely not.” She refused point-blank. “I like that job, you won’t ruin it for me.”

Shanks stuck out his lower lip. Blaze would have called it a pout on anyone else, but on the red-haired Yonko it just looked slightly terrifying. “I won’t cause trouble.” 

“HA! That’s rich coming from you.” Blaze said as she climbed on the bubble bike. Shanks climbed on behind her and took the wheel, grumbling the whole time. 

She cuddled back into his chest as they rode away from the bar. “Where are we going anyway? You didn’t even let me pack a bag. And we’ll be gone for a month?” She asked, not so subtly changing the subject. 

“Well, I would tell you. But then it wouldn’t be a surprise. We're going shopping first though.”

“Shopping?” Blaze perked up, excited.“I love shopping!” 

“Haha, I know little mini-me.! You got that from me. I love shopping too, HAHAHA!”

Blaze leaned forward in the excitement. Her long hair shifted and fell over her shoulder revealing the back of her neck to Shanks. Her neck and upper back were exposed in the blue tank top she wore. He glanced down and did a double-take. 

“WHY DO YOU HAVE A TATTOO OF A DRAGON?!” He screeched, nearly crashing their bubble bike into a giant root. 

“AAHH WATCH OUT!” She screeched in return. 

——-

Her dad’s surprise was a mystery for her and his crew. He refused to tell her anything about it. But he did make for the direction of the shopping district after they left the bar. He took her shopping, once again going overboard in what she could only assume was some weird attempt to make up for four years of absence. Or maybe he just really did love shopping. Seas knew she held an ungodly love for the act. 

What could she say? There was just something absolutely magnetizing about pretty things. Blaze may be guilty of wearing the same things most days, but that was only because she didn’t want Uncle Ray to destroy her nice things during training and she had a uniform at the Bistro. But her lotions, perfumes, and makeup? Well, she had been taught well and nothing she owned was cheap. 

With Shanks, Blaze went all out. She was twelve going on thirteen, with Shakky for a foster mother, and an entire lifetime before of never being able to afford the things she wanted. Plus, her dad had been gone for four years. She was going to milk that for all it was worth. 

Still, as much as she bought, it had nothing on Shanks. He really did have expensive taste. It was astounding to the girl until she realized that he’d grown up with Uncle Ray. That man was the definition of high maintenance, despite his laid back demeanor. Shakky and Ray both only enjoyed the finest things in life with their ill-begotten fortune. 

Casting a side-eye at her father, Blaze remembered how Uncle Ray had once told her the story of how his old captain had picked Shanks up from some gutter when he was nine years old. A person would never know it looking at the Yonko now. 

He was decked out in extravagantly expensive fabric and held at least ten shopping bags from the end of his sword which he had thrown over one shoulder. Mihawk would cry if he saw the disrespect, Blaze thought. He’d also bought her a lovely gold chain to wear around her neck and even took her to get her ears pierced. 

It was nearing late afternoon by the time they finished and began to head to where Shanks had docked the Red Force. 

Traveling in the low light of the approaching dusk through the mangroves, with the sun setting their hair ablaze and surrounded by a day’s worth of shopping, Blaze was content. 

The past year had been crazy and filled with insanity, from Dragon’s various missions to Ricardo’s increasingly outlandish requests to training with Shakky and Uncle Ray. Today was the first time in a long time when the girl could truly relax. On someone else’s beli too, she thought with a fond glance at her father. She'd amassed quite an abundance of wealth herself, but she didn't like spending it frivolously. Blaze was saving up for something big. 

The Red Force came into view, lit up from lanterns along the deck. They boarded the ship to a raucous welcome. Yasopp came up to her and immediately grabbed her and threw her in the air. Blaze shrieked in surprise as she was caught by Benn. 

“Hey,” he dad’s first mate said, his eyes crinkled in the slightest grin as he caught her and set her back on the deck. “You’ve grown.”

“Haha, of course, I have. It’s been forever since you all dropped me off here. Do you know where we are going?” she asked. 

Benn just smiled at her as Shanks ordered some crew members to take their bags to his quarters. “I do.” 

“Where?!” she demanded. “Shanks wouldn’t tell me!”

“Its a surprised,” Benn said. “You’re still as full of questions as always, aren’t you?”

Blaze grinned back at him. “Always,” she promised with a wink. 

——-

Shanks ended up taking her and the crew on a week-long vacation to Spa Island. It was a wonderful week full of good food, friends, and laughter. Blaze would always remember it as one of the brightest memories of her childhood.

They were chased off the island by the security guards and stole the entire island’s alcohol supply before they left. It was a merry, fun-filled time for all (except maybe the island staff). 

Shanks and Blaze talked about the years they’d missed with each other, learning more about the other every day. Blaze told him about her work with the revolutionaries and the Bistro, Shanks told her about how he’d got the scars over his eye and growing up on the Pirate King’s crew. 

Blaze had a feeling that Shanks told her things he’d never told others before. It wasn’t an egotistical thing to say, simply something she had gathered from his words. She was his legacy, as unintended as she was. He never planned on having a child, and certainly wouldn’t have another now that he’d learned his lesson from her. But with her existence, Shanks felt he had a duty to share the family history, as much as he knew it, being an orphan and all.

The girl reflected on the things she learned in the dead of night when she couldn’t sleep and memories of the past kept her up. She wondered what her mother would think of the life she was living. Blaze had a feeling that Jade would have been ecstatic and jealous to see Blaze living the life her mother had always longed for. 

By the time Shanks dropped her off on Sabaody a month later, Blaze was settled in a way she’d never been before in this life. 

Her Dad had offered to take her with him back into the New World. He was in a position where he could protect her and she was strong enough to sail with him if she wanted. 

She’d refused. As much as it hurt her heart, Blaze knew that wasn’t her path. She wasn’t meant to be a Red-Haired pirate. She didn’t know where her path was leading her, but her work for the revolution was too important to abandon right now. 

Her father had been worried for her when she told him of what she’d been doing for the last year or so. He understood more than most the lengths the World Government would go to in order to exterminate people they perceived as threats. 

As not only a spy for the revolutionaries but also carrying the blood of a Yonko in her veins, Blaze was at risk. 

She wouldn’t be cowed though. She explained to her dad the injustice in the world, the horror of watched slaves be paraded around in front of her every day on Sabaody, the burning knowledge that she was allowing it if she didn’t act when she knew she was strong enough to make even the tiniest difference. 

He hadn’t liked it, but he’d been proud of her. The look in his eyes as he cradled her face in his hand in the dim light of his cabin after most everyone else had gone to bed had told her that loud and clear. 

He was just like Shakky and Uncle Ray in that respect. He loved her enough to let her chase her dreams even though it hurt him to do so. Even though all he wanted was to bundle her into his chest and lock her into a tower. 

Blaze had shed a few tears when she’d seen his acceptance. She was young, only twelve, but she’d been lucky enough to be put in the position to have enough power to change the world. That her father accepted her even though it burned at him meant the world to her. 

He’d left her on Sabaody again with a long hug and a promise to visit. 

——

Six months later, Blaze was once again stowed away on a marine ship. This time, bound for the sinking island of Water 7. She was thirteen and on her 8th mission for Dragon. This was the biggest since the infiltration of the 1516 Reverie. 

She felt right at home as they sailed through the Florian Triangle. The foggy waters amplifying her powers and the spooked crew of marines providing endless entertainment. If she’d taken an obscene amount of pleasure in thickening the fog and occasionally creating loud, eerie noises in the dead of night well… that was for her to know and them to blame on ghosts.

In her last report to Dragon, she’d included a paragraph about a truly obnoxious individual named Spandam whom she’d overheard on Sabaody bragging about his mission to uncover the secrets of Pluton. Blaze had at first thought it had been a trap, the man so incredibly incompetent that it was inconceivable he’d have a mission directly from the Five Elders. 

The more she observed him though, the more sure she was of the validity of the information. Marines snapped to attention when he approached and more than one individual that flared brightly to her haki enhanced senses followed his orders without question. She couldn’t sense any power from him though. It left a truly bad taste in her mouth. She thought that she should recognize him but no memories flared to life inside her mind. Maybe she blocked them? or just forgot?

Dragon had asked her to travel to Water 7 and discover who held the Pluton Blueprints. She was either to destroy them or ensure they were never found by the World Government. It was her first mission where Dragon had asked her to do more than gather information. Shakky had wanted her to refuse it but Blaze thought she could do it. 

One thing Blaze did remember from her old life was that Franky the Cyborg had called Water 7 home, it had also been the island where Nico Robin was abducted by government agents and Luffy and Usopp had fallen out. Blaze thought she remembered something about salt and orphans too. Which seemed incredibly random to her. 

Regardless, when the marine ship docked on Water 7, Blaze ditched it as quickly as humanly possible, sick of the constant sailing and hiding. 

Vaguely, she knew that Iceberg had the blueprints. She didn’t know if CP9 had infiltrated yet, but it wouldn’t be hard to discover if they had. She just had to settle herself into the mist around the docks and spy a little. 

Hmm, Why did she feel like that was a bad idea?

Blaze strolled through the streets until she found a nice hotel. She’d be here for a while, no point slumming it if she didn’t have to. Maybe she could sightsee a little while she was here?

With her training from Shakky, the girl had no problem getting a room. She’d long learned how to position her body and mold her words until most people assumed she was older than she was. Plus she was wearing her hip and chest pads, along with heels and contour. While she was thirteen, Blaze’s body looked even younger. The time she’d spent incorporeal as a child really had come back to bite her in the ass now that she was older. 

She stopped in her room long enough to shower and clothe herself in a hooded cloak. With a heavy breath to steady herself, Blaze cracked open her window and dispersed herself. 

This was her preferred method of information gathering. Disguises were all well and good for getting the material things she wanted. But information? The best information came to her when people thought no one was listening. 

She’d learned a lot in the past year about sensing others' strengths. Uncle Ray had been exacting in his expectations. After Shanks had left, he’d also started her on sword training. She’d never be an expert, but Ray was trying to train her so she wouldn’t be an absolute disgrace to her father’s name. 

Floating along the Water 7 waterways, Blaze thanked her lucky stars for the geography of the island. With the fountains spewing water everywhere and the thousands of waterways bisecting the city, Blaze was truly in her element. 

It was actually starting to get suspicious how Dragon only ever asked her to go to places where her abilities were strengthened by the landscape. She wondering if it was deference to her young age or sheer coincidence. 

As she settled over the city, she located the shipyard and various docks. The layout of the city imprinted itself in her mind. An odd sight on the south side of the island caught her attention. She dragged herself into a solid form once more and strolled out of an alley into the light of day. The island was covered in a fine mist. She could only take credit for half of it, the other half was merely the mist flung from the fountains sprouting from the upper echelons of the island. 

She found herself wandering aimlessly through the outer bounds of an old shipyard, it was filled with debris and old, half-rotten ships. One edge bordered the open sea, unprotected by the walls of the city. What had caught her eye was the lack of people. Everywhere else on the island was crawling with crowds. This old, abandoned shipyard was empty. She walked through it, keeping her observation Haki on high alert to make sure no one snuck up on her. 

Blaze contemplated how to complete her mission. She could leave an anonymous note for Iceberg, warning him of the dangers he was facing. She could drug him and kidnap him and then tell him. She could find Franky first and warn him, seeing as she vaguely remembered him burning the blueprints in her last life. If he burned them once upon a time, then he must have possessed them first.

A sudden clanging from her left made Blaze tilt her head in that direction. She thought she’d sensed someone. 

———

When the sun finally set on Water 7, Blaze had her plan set. She’d found Iceberg’s residence with a little digging. Slipping through a cracked window was a piece of cake. She hid herself from the various people loitering around Iceberg’s mansion until darkness had well and truly settled around the mansion. 

Blaze slipped under the door of Iceberg’s bedroom, her form slowly coalescing above his bed until she was fully solid. She fell on top of him silently, her hand quickly coming up to his mouth to smother his shout of surprise as he abruptly awoke, panic filling his eyes. Before he could protest, she had each of his hands cuffed to the bedposts. She’d not known how she would use the handcuffs Shakky had given her for her last birthday, but they were coming in handy now. HA! Handy, she was hilarious. 

“Shhh!” She hissed, “You’ll get us caught!” Iceberg continued his muffled protests underneath her for a full minute, tugging at his wrist and trying to kick her off him, before finally calming. He glared at her, his face half-hidden by her hands. 

“Look, calm down. I won't hurt you. I’m with the revolutionaries. I have some information for you about the you-know-what that Tom left with you. Do you promise not the scream if I set you free?”She whispered and watched Iceberg’s eyes widen at the mention of Tom. That was enough for Blaze to know she’d been right when she remembered that he was in possession of the Pluton Blueprints. 

Hesitantly, Iceberg nodded. Blaze slowly removed her hands, holding herself stiff until she was confident he would keep his word and not shout for help. 

“What the hell.” Iceberg said in a low voice. “Who the hell are you?”

“I told you. I’m with the revolutionaries.”

“You couldn’t schedule an appointment?”He asked incredulously. 

“Not when your secretary is a CP-9 agent.” Blaze said, looking Iceberg straight in the eyes so he’d realize the seriousness of her accusation. 

“Kalifa?” he asked, shocked.

Blaze nodded. “Yes, her and that pigeon guy. As well as that rectangle nose. And I don’t know who else.”

“Kaku? Lucci? What?! You’re lying.” He accused her, narrowing his eyes up at her. 

“I wish I was,” Blaze said. “They're after your blueprints that Tom left. I’ve been sent to make sure you either destroy them or hide them so well they will never be found.”

“Sent? By the revolutionaries? You’re a child, why the hell should I believe you?”

Blaze heaved a sigh. “You don’t find it suspicious? How those people suddenly appeared just when you need them? You don’t think it strange how closely they watch you? The government was gunning after Tom for more than just building Roger’s ship. You know that. Are you going to stake the fate of the word on faith in people you’ve known for less than a year?”

Iceberg was silent underneath her. She could see the doubt in his eyes. Either at her information or the fact she was the one delivering it. 

She hissed at him in frustration. “I’m older than I look! The things I know would horrify you. You know the government is corrupt! You really want to chance your’s and Franky’s lives on it?

Iceberg jolted underneath her and glared “Franky? Franky is dead, he was killed by the sea train. If you were any sort of spy then you’d know that.”

Blazed scoffed at him. “Was he now?” She challenged and raised an eyebrow at the man. “And if I said he survived? If I told you he was alive? Would you believe me then?”

“I wouldn’t believe you.” He said. “Nobody could survive that.”

“Is that so? So little faith in your fellow shipwright.” Blaze hummed as she settled more comfortably on top of the man. 

“Get off of me and get out.” Iceberg ordered, glaring fiercely at her. 

“No.” She refused. “I’ve got a job to do and I’m not about to fail.

Blaze settled her hands on Iceberg and tried something she’d only ever attempted on animals before. Lucky for her, the bunnies had always survived. Iceberg probably would too.

——-

She’d always know that there wasn’t anything stopping people’s Devil Fruits from affecting other people. It still took her years before she figured out how to turn other living beings into mist. 

As Blaze floated along with the skies of Water 7 with Iceberg, she pondered the sheer oddness of her world. The sky really was the limit here. 

Iceberg was terrified, she could feel his fear with her Haki. It made her feel slightly guilty. The poor guy, he had never hurt anyone and here she was dissolving his body into millions of water droplets and dragging him from his bed and across the sky in the dead of night.

If she didn’t have a very good reason, if she wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t hold it against her after they arrived at their destination, she wouldn’t have done it. 

But this was too important and so she didn’t mind sacrificing one man’s peace of mind. 

Arriving at the abandoned shipyard from earlier, she cast her senses out to search for hidden figures. The only people who pinged on her reader were Iceberg and one other. 

She coalesced them both back into solid shapes. Iceberg immediately collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. “What… the… hell?” He asked. 

“Oh don’t be so dramatic.” Blaze deflected. “It’s not that bad.”

“Not that bad??” Iceberg yelled at her. “I completely forgot I was a person. I didn’t even remember my name!”

That was an interesting side effect, Blaze thought. Although it made sense when she thought about her first experience in the mist and how she’d lost herself from three years. “Ahh, well.” She said, “you’re fine now.”

Iceberg looked like he wanted to jump her, and not in a fun way. Blaze looked away, quickly. Yikes, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

A strong voice called out of the fog surrounding them. “ Baka-berg? Is that you”

The blue-haired man froze when Franky came out from the shadow of a broken hull. His eyes widened as he took the other man in from head to toe. “What the hell happened to you?” Even as he asked the question, Iceberg was looking faint. He shifted back until he was sitting on top of an old broken piece of half rotten lumber. Blaze thought he looked rather overwhelmed. 

She stepped back as Frank stepped forward. She’d let them have their privacy for now. 

The moon glowing around the shipyard and reflecting off the sea really did create quite the atmosphere. With a little more fog, the sight of the crying brothers reuniting would have been quite cinematic. Blaze looked away, suddenly uncomfortable.

Several minutes later shouting brought her attention back towards the two. Iceberg looked furious and Franky was looking angrier by the second. 

“Hey!”She barked, stalking back over. “Keep it down! In case you’ve forgotten, one of you is being hunted by the government and the other is supposed to be dead.”

Franky shifted a heated glance towards her. “Tell that to Baka-berg, sis! He is the unreasonable one.”

“Me? You’re the one who turned yourself into a Cyborg! How is that reasonable?”

“Okay, break it up, boys. Geez, and I’m supposed to be the moody teen.” Blaze rolled her eyes. “You can fight later, right now we need to take care of business. Iceberg, do you believe me now?”

He leveled a steady look at her, seeming to recollect himself as he stood. In seconds he was once again composed. Or at least, as much as he could be when his eyes were still red from tears and he was in his silk pajamas and not wearing shoes. Maybe she should have let him get dressed before kidnapping him?

“About Franky? Obviously. About my employees? I don’t know.” Iceberg looked uncomfortable. “Even if you were telling the truth, what could I even do?”

Blaze nodded, “Nothing. If you fired them then you wouldn’t be able to watch them and they make take more drastic actions. My recommendation is to keep an eye on them, never be alone with them, and get rid of the blueprints.”

“Hold up! You want him to live with the spies?” Franky asked suspiciously. “That doesn’t seem very super.”

“It's that or tip them off that you’re on to them. Them I’m sure they wouldn’t hesitate to obtain their mission through more unpleasant means. Especially that pigeon guy,” she looked at Iceberg. “You really don’t want to piss him off.”

The man sighed heavily. “They don’t seem like bad people. I don’t think they’d kill me.”

“Really?” Blaze asked, slightly surprised at the man. “You don’t think people who work for the government wouldn’t go to any means necessary to get what they wanted?” A moment of silence as her pointed tone caused both men to wince as painful memories of their last run-in with the government were brought up. “How about this? Nico Robin. I noticed the bounty poster you keep on your wall. Why?”

Iceberg looked thrown and the subject change. “She’d dangerous. She destroyed five navy battleships and wants to revive the ancient weapon to take over the world.”

“Oh does she?” Blaze asked skeptically. “An 8-year-old girl? Sounds pretty suspicious to me. You want to know the truth?”

“About Nico Robin?” Franky asked. “I remember Tom warning us about her. What happened?”

“About sixteen years ago on a small island in the West Blue, a group of archaeologists were on the brink of discovering the secrets of the Void Century. Many of the scholars could read an ancient language the World Government has outlawed all knowledge of. When they caught wind of it, the government sent something known as a Buster Call to destroy the island, and everyone on it scholars, civilians, even the children. The ships were destroyed by one of their own, a brave man who disagreed with the slaughter. The reason for her bounty is because the government wants to eliminate her. The knowledge she posses is a direct threat to them.”

“How do you know all this?” Iceberg asked, shaken from her words.

“Between us three, the revolutionaries are very interested in Nico Robin and the secrets she holds. She’s kept her head down since but its only a matter of time before the world government catches up with her. We want her first.” Blaze explained. 

She wasn’t used to being so free with the information. But the men needed to realize the danger they were in. 

“I see.” Iceberg said. He looked down, taking in her words. 

Franky was being abnormally quiet but looked horrified by her words. “That is not Super.”

Blaze snorted, “No, it's not.” She could tell Iceberg believed her and it was only a desperate wish for what she was saying not to be true that was making him protest. “What would I have to gain by lying to you? All I want is for you to destroy the blueprints or hide them so that they can never be found.”

“What? Destroy them? Those were Tom’s! We can’t do that. Tell her Iceberg!”

Iceberg’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Very well, we will hide them.” 

He aimed a sly look her way, “Although we could use your help.”

Blaze smiled. “It would be my pleasure.”

———-


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaze press gangs a boy into going on a date with her. Puberty hits like a freight train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this story is moving fast. Yes, I did add chapters. There is a lot going on behind the scenes that I don't write. I've several ideas for one shots in the series to go more in depth behind a lot of the things I reference.

When Blaze is fourteen she gets her first crush on a boy. It’s completely unintentional on her part. In fact, she’s incredibly embarrassed about it. She’s been trained by Shakky for years to be the one to make people fall for her, to be in control, and never let anyone know whats she’s thinking. But she's also been taught to always get what she wants. 

Most of the time, Blaze makes sure she projects an image of a confident and bratty young teen. Her maturity has often made others suspicious of her so acting her age is a good way to ease people’s wall down. 

She plans to adjust as she ages. She’s never lost her desire to be like Shakky, sensual, sexy, and able to reduce individuals of all genders to sputtering messes in seconds. 

Blaze will one day be suave and cool like Shakky. Today, however, is not that day. 

On one of her rare days off, she’d been strolling through one of the groves in the lawless zone, solid and training her observation Haki in the hopes of hearing something interesting. She took walks like this often, as a way to explore and settle her mind.

This time she heard the muffled sounds of a fight in the distance. Not an uncommon sound on Sabaody. The area was always crawling with pirates, bounty hunters, and marines. Not a peaceful lot, those people. 

She strolled over hoping to get a closer look. Once upon a time, Blaze would have sprinted in the opposite direction. Prolonged proximity with Uncle Ray however had eradicated her sense of self-preservation. Not his intention to be sure but watching his constant insanity had rubbed off on her. 

Plus, caution never revealed sensitive information and she loved sensitive information. 

Peeking through a mangrove root, Blaze took in the scene before her. Two guys were facing off a group of bounty hunters. They were some of the stronger bounty hunters on Sabaody, she recognized them from around the island. 

The two pirates they were surrounding looked relatively unbothered. Squinting to get a better look, Blaze felt her jaw drop as she recognized the black-haired one. 

That was the super rookie, Fire Fist Ace. Brother to the future king of the pirate, son of the old pirate king, and current captain of the Spade Pirates. 

What was he doing here? Was it that close to the start of the old story that lived in her head? 

Ace’s fists turned into fire between one blink at the next. The masked blue-haired man next to him stepped back, seemingly content to let his captain have all the fun. Blaze took a moment to admire the shirtless captain's washboard abs. He was hot as hell, all puns intended. 

It would have been over quickly if three of the bounty hunters didn’t have seastone coated weapons. Blaze watched Ace struggle for a minute debating with herself if it was worth it to get involved. The blue-haired man had since joined the fray as well, being kept busy by two men with giant burns on their arms. 

A bullet through the shoulder of the blue-haired man decided it for her. Quicker than the eye could see, Blaze unsheathed her sword and darted to the man’s side. The bounty hunters were down with slashes across their fronts and bumps on their heads mere moments later. 

“You okay?” She asked the blue-haired man on the ground. He was clutching the bullet wound on his shoulder and staring at her. 

“Oh my god Ace is never going to let me live this down. I got saved by a little girl.” He groaned in pain at the thought and Blaze smirked. She looked over her shoulder at the brawling Ace. Apparently, he’d forgone his devil fruit powers completely to beat the bounty hunters in with his fists.

It seemed to be a sound strategy because they were the only three conscious shortly thereafter. Ace shot over to his crewmate’s side to inspect his wound. “You okay, Deuce?” 

Deuce nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think it hit anything. Hurts like a bitch though.”

“What are you guys doing all the way over here? Lost?” Blaze asked.

Ace looked at her and scowled. “Who’s asking?”

Blaze frowned at him. Rude. “The girl who just saved your friend’s life, that’s who.” Had he missed the whole thing? Damn, she didn’t realize people were that unobservant.

“It’s true, Captain.” Deuce grimaced. 

“This little girl?’ Ace aimed an incredulous look her way. Which she thought was rich when she was pretty sure she could take him out if she wanted to. She’d been raised on the Grand Line and trained by Dark King Rayleigh for six years. Like hell, some upstart rookie pirate who didn’t even seem to be in full control of his devil fruit could beat her. Even if she did remember Ace being incredibly strong, it was obvious from watching him fight that he wasn’t there yet. 

The thought amused Blaze. She was about to have some fun with these guys. 

Before she could finish that thought, Deuce passed out between the two logia users. “Shit he’s still bleeding!” Ace panicked. 

“Of course he is. He was shot? He needs bandages and stitches probably.” 

“Do you have any bandages?” he asked her desperately. 

“Why would I have bandages?!” 

“I don’t know! In case you get shot?”

“Nobody shoots at me! I’m a girl, not a pirate like you!”

“Ugh, whatever!” Ace started to rip at Deuces' coat, hoping to make some bandages if Blaze had to guess. 

“Oh my god, just follow me.” Blaze finally relented. “I live in the next Grove and can give him stitches.”

“You’re not a bounty hunter, are you?” he asked her as he lifted Deuce into his arms. 

“HA, no.” She turned to walk back to the Bar, feeling him follow her. 

“Then why do you carry a sword?”

“To rescue lost damsels in distress when I find them.”

“If you’re leading us into a trap, I’ll kill you.”

At that Blaze did look back at him, amused. “You could try, pretty boy.”

——

Shakky was the only one at the Bar when they arrived. She directed Ace to lay Deuce on a table while Blaze grabbed the first aid kit. They kept it out since they seemed to use it almost daily. 

“Blaze, bringing boys home already? Oh, where has the time gone. Only yesterday you were toddling around in diapers…“ Shakky teased as she threaded a needle and Blaze disinfected Deuce’s wound. 

“Oh shut it, you didn’t even know me when I was in diapers.”

Ace was standing over them, suspiciously watching their every move. “Move,” Blaze ordered. “You’re blocking the light.”

They worked quickly, the wound small enough to only need a few stitches in the entry and exit wounds. Lucky for Deuce, it was a clean shot.

As Blaze cleaned up afterward, Shakky lit a cigarette and turned towards Ace. “Fire Fist Ace, in the flesh. I normally don’t play nurse for just anyone, but since you’re friends with Blaze, I’ll only charge you one million beri.”

“A million beri?!” Ace yelped. “Hell no! That’s a rip-off!”

“Well, it is the name of the bar, dear. Shakky, at your service.” The woman dipped her head in a demure nod towards the captain. Blaze felt herself smile, hidden as it was by her bent head. 

“No way! We don’t have that.”

“What kind of pirates doesn’t have one million beri?” Blaze pondered aloud.

“Shut it Brat! This a conversation between the adults.” He snapped. The smile fell off her face. 

“Well,” Shakky mused. “Blaze, you know what to do with customers who can’t pay.” 

“I sure do.” She agreed. 

“What? Do you want to fight? Bring it on.”Ace challenged while lighting up his fist. 

Before he could damage the bar, Blaze moved. Her haki coated foot connected with his face and threw him through the window and out onto the ground outside. She followed after him, hopping out of the window and floating down to where Ace was getting to his feet, cradling his aching jaw. 

“What the matter, Fire First? Never been hit in your pretty-boy face before?” 

“Shut up! How’d you do that? Nobody’s been able to land a hit on me since I at my devil fruit.”

Blaze unsheathed her sword and struck out at him. He dodged by the skin of his teeth. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“You brat! I’m going to end you!” Ace lunged at her and she smacked him across the face with the flat of her haki coated blade. A fist came up to punch her in the stomach, instead of forcing her back as he’d expected it merely went straight through her. Ace felt like he’d tried to punch a cold mist. 

“Hehe,” Blaze giggled as she used his misstep to grab his arms and throw him over her shoulder. “You’re not the only one with a Devil Fruit, pretty boy.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Why don’t you make me, hot stuff?” Blaze was having fun throwing around the hothead. She could sense Shakky’s amusement from where she was watching above, holding back a newly awakened Deuce. 

“Just watch me!” Ace yelled as he threw himself at her again. 

Blaze felt her smile widen even more. How fun!

——

Ace exhausted himself two hours later. Blaze had to give it to him, the kid had stamina. She’d started to sweat towards the end of their fight. He couldn’t land a single hit on her. Which wasn’t surprising, she was a logia after all. It must have burned him to have the strength of one turned against him. She reckoned it was the first time he’d ever fought another logia. 

Well, it’d been her first time too. But she had several unfair advantages over him, not the least of which was her prior knowledge. 

She hauled him up to the bar where Shakky and Deuce had settled into two chairs with drinks to watch them. 

“Did you enjoy yourself, darling? It’s so refreshing to see you making friends.” Shakky said.

“Yeah, it was fun. I think I like this one.” Blaze admitted as she roughly threw Ace into the chair next to them. 

Deuce took in his captain’s battered and barely conscious form. “You think?” 

“You… Brat..”He grunted. “You… gotta.. teach me..”

Blaze looked him down from head to toe, admiring the sight Ace made as he slumped in his chair, sweaty and disheveled. “Oh?” she asked. “And what’s in it for me, hot stuff? I recall you mentioning that you were broke.”

Ace looked stumped for a minute. “Ah.. well. What do you want?”

“Hmm,” Blaze pretended to think about it. “You can take me on a date.”

Deuce and Ace both choked. “A date? How old even are you? You look like a kid!”

“This kid just beat your ass! and I’m fourteen. Plenty old enough for a date. Right, Shakky?”

“Whatever you say, darling.” She agreed then glanced at Ace. “Although, you’ll need to ask her Uncle for permission.”

“NO WAY! NO DATE!”Ace shouted while crossing his arms over his chest in a big X. “You’re the same age as my little brother!”

Blaze pouted, “I guess you don’t want to learn how to wield my super, secret powers then.”

“There has to be something else you want! Anything!”

“Well….sure. I guess.”

“Grea! What is it?” Ace leaned forward eagerly.

“500 million beri.” She deadpanned. 

“WHAT!? No!”

“Then no deal!”

“Ehh, it’s just one date Captain. How bad could it be?” Deuce interjected. 

“If it’s not a big deal then you do it!”

“Nope.” Blaze rejected. “I don’t like blue-haired people.”

Deuce looked offended. “What? That’s so mean.”

She shrugged. She knew too many blue-haired people. The appeal wore off right around the time she met Franky. They always seemed to be in some sort of distress. First Vivi, then Iceberg, Franky, and now Deuce. It left a bad taste in her mouth. 

“Ugh!” Ace yelled. “Fine. I’ll do it”

“You have to ask me properly.” Blaze felt a smug grin tug at her lips as an approaching aura pinged at the edge of her senses.

“What!? Why?”

“Because that’s how it’s done! Geez, haven’t you ever been on a date before.”

Ace spluttered. “Of course I have!” 

“Really?” She asked, not believing him in the slightest. 

He ignored the question. Visibly trying to calm himself down. “Fine. I’ll ask you and we’ll go on a date, and you promise to teach me the mystery power?”

Blaze nodded. “It’s a deal.”

Ace took a moment to gather himself before turning towards her. He took a large step forward and grabbed her hands in his. His grip was rough and his palms were sweating. 

“Blaze, would you please go on a date with me?” He asked at the same time the door chimed and Uncle Ray walked in. He took in their joined hands and the words he’d surely just heard Ace speak. 

“What.” He asked darkly. “Is going on here.”

Wow, they sure didn’t call him the dark king for nothing, Blaze thought as she saw his glare and the fire in his eyes.

—————-

Blaze really was having the time of her life tormenting/hanging out with the captain of the Spade Pirates. 

After Uncle Ray took Ace out the back of the bar for a manly heart to heart, they’d left for the amusement park. Blaze shoving Ace on the back of her bubble bike and forcing him to grab onto her to avoid falling off. Ace slowly regained the color he’d lost after coming back from his manly talk white as a ghost. 

He relaxed about halfway to the park. Blaze was glad, the date wouldn’t be any fun if he was so high strung. 

She’d taken the time to change into a nice sundress and she was wearing the straw hat that Yasopp had bought her so long ago. She rarely got the chance to wear it anymore, which was a shame since it was one of her favorite things she owned. 

Ace shifted behind her, “That’s a cool tattoo. What’s it for?”

Blaze grinned at the memory. “It just looks cool.” She looked over her shoulder. “Doesn’t it?”

Ace laughed. “Yeah, It’s pretty cool.”

“Do you have any?”

“No, I never thought about it really.”

“Want to go get one?” Her smile turned devious. “I know a place.”

“Really?” Ace looked thoughtful. “Okay. Why the hell not?”

“Great! Amusement park first though! You can’t get a tattoo until it's dark out and I want to ride the Ferris wheel and make out first.”

“What?! No! Absolutely not! Stay back!”

“Hehehe,” Her grin wouldn't have looked out of place on a devil. This was the best first date. 

—————-

Ace was a absolute riot. She made him hold her hand the entire time. Only letting him let go when they stopped for snacks. He’d had a permanent blush on his face the first hour, embarrassed to be seen with her. Which was rude. She was cute and everyone knew it. He was lucky to be on a date with her!

He won her a giant stuffed alligator at the Ring Toss and she’d clapped with glee, impressed despite herself. She knew those games were rigged to hell. 

“You must have the luck of the devil,” She teased. 

“Ahh, well…” He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. 

They rode the Ferris wheel with him sitting as far away from her as possible and her just enjoying the view. His muscles really did gleam in the light. She tilted her head to catch a pectoral gleaming in the sun. Wow. 

Ace inched further away from her. Good thing the Ferris wheel bubble was round. 

When the sun started to set she dragged him towards Grove 16. It was the true party scene of the island, filled with bars, clubs, tattoo shops, and a brothel or seven. Ace looked skeptical of the hole in the wall tattoo shop she hauled him to. 

“Jellyfish! Hey! My and my boyfriend want to get matching tattoos!” Blaze shouted as she entered the shop.

“No! We don’t! I’m not your boyfriend stop saying that!” Ace protested. Although his protests were started to sound a little tired. Blaze took that as a sign she was wearing him down. 

Jellyfish, a purple-haired person, looked up and waved. “Hey Blaze, back for another one?”

“Sure am,” She agreed. “and I brought a first-timer too.”

“Fun.” Jellyfish said. “How’s Shakky?”

“Good, she sends her love. You really should come by more often.”

“If her drinks weren’t so expensive, maybe I would.” Jellyfish retorted. 

Blazed waved them off. “You have to pay for the quality. Anyway, I’m thinking of a skull eating a snake surrounded by belladonna. Pretty cool, right? On my upper thigh, What do you think?”

“Sure. Go sit down in the back. And for you?” Jellyfish asked while nodding at Ace.

“Umm, letters? On my arm. ASCE. But the S needs to be crossed out.”

“Sure. Go sit in the chair next to Blaze. Mantarea will fix you right up.”

Ace shuffled towards the back of the shop and settled next to Blaze. “Hey,” she whispered at him. “Don’t let yourself turn into flames or the needle won’t work.”

“Umm okay?”

“Don’t be nervous. It only hurts a little.”

“I’m not nervous! Besides if a little girl like you can do then so can I.” Ace crossed his arms over his chest. 

Blaze just laughed at him. “Sure you don’t want to get matching tattoos, hot stuff?” 

“Absolutely not.”

——————-

The background buzz of tattoo guns filled the shop as Ace and Blaze chatted. 

“You never told me what you and Deuce were doing when I found you.”

Ace was straddling a chair backward as a tiny woman named Mantarae steadily inked black onto his skin. “Ah right. We were looking for someone to coat our ship. A friend told us about someone on Grove 13 who could do it fast.”

Blaze snorted. “You mean Uncle Ray. He’s the only coater on Grove 13.”

She watched as his face paled. “Oh,” he said faintly. “Well, I’m sure we can find someone else.”

“Nonsense! He’ll do it. For a fee of course.”

“Let me guess, 500 million beri?” he asked dryly. 

“Haha, funny. But no. Shakky deals in information. If you can tell her something interesting, something she doesn’t know, then she’ll have him coat it for you.”

“Really? That's all it takes?” 

“Don’t act so surprised Ace. Secrets are hard to come by. And very valuable in our line of work. Don't you have any deep dark secrets you’re hiding from the world?”

Ace looked extremely uncomfortable with that line of questioning. She should have felt bad for picking at that sore point but she didn’t. Ace was still so insecure and full of hate towards his father that she thought it would do him good to actually talk to someone who knew the pirate king. Rayleigh had been the first mate of the Roger Pirates and probably knew the man better than anyone. Except maybe Ace’s mother. 

A solemn silence fell between them as their tattoo artist finished their work. 

When they left, Blaze dragged Ace to a nearby bar to get drunk. Then to a club next door where she showed him how to dance. By the time they made it back to Grove 13, the sun was rising and they were both a loud, giggling mess of limbs and sweat. She dragged him into her room and dropped him on her rug where he proceeded to roll around, making an absolute fool of himself. 

“I have a little brother, you know. You’d like him. He has a straw hat too. But it’s different from yours.” Ace giggled. “He’s an idiot.”

Blaze tripped over his legs as she tried to get into her bed. Her knees thudded into the floor and her face smashed into her matress. Ace erupted into a laughing fit at the sight. “You’re an idiot, too! Bwahahaa”

“Shut up,” she hissed as she pushed a pillow over his face. “People are sleeping.”

She tried to crawl into her bed but only succeeded in pulling the blanket off and onto the floor. 

Had her room always spun like that?

Ace’s mad giggles slowly turned into snores as he drifted off clutching her extra pillow. Blaze curled up next to him on the rug and followed him into dreamland. 

——-

Uncle Ray barged into her room bright and early the next day. “Time for training! Up. It’s noon already. Can’t sleep the day away when there are things to be done.”

Blaze groaned and she heard Ace grumbling next to her. The hell? Why was she on the floor?

Vaguely, she felt Rayleigh pick her up and sling her over a well-muscled shoulder. She cracked open an eye and saw Ace in the same situation, only looking much more panicked to be slung over the Dark King’s shoulder. Blaze would have made fun of him if her head wasn’t throbbing so bad. 

They passed Deuce and Shakky at the bar. She waved. Ace started to struggle. He wasn’t going anywhere though. Uncle Ray had long since learned how to keep a logia from escaping. 

He threw them down in the clearing behind the bar. Ace landed on his feet, Blaze flopped down on her back. 

“What the hell?” he asked. 

Uncle Ray laughed. “You brat, don’t take that tone with me!” He aimed a large fist at the black-haired teen's head too fast for him to dodge. 

“Ow! The fuck? You have the same mystery power as Blaze?”

“Who do you think taught the girl? And it's called Haki.”

“Haki? Never heard of it.”

Blaze tuned them out as Uncle Ray started to explain to Ace. She rolled away when it turned into a practical demonstration. She had a gut feeling that Uncle Ray knew damn well who Ace’s father was. Call it a hunch, but she had learned to never underestimate Shakky and Ray.

She dozed off to the sounds of the two bonding. 

When she woke up, Ace had somehow managed to get Rayleigh to agree to coat his ship for free. His red-rimmed eyes and Uncle Ray's nostalgic smile told her her hunch had been right though. 

—————

Ace and his crew stayed on Sabaody for a week. By the time he left, he’d managed to crush a rock in his bare hands with Haki. Blaze was impressed. It’d taken her a month to learn the same thing. 

She had a feeling she wouldn’t be stronger than him for long. Especially since he was soon to be joining the Whitebeard Pirates. She gave him a knife as a going-away present. It was too large for her and she’d stolen it from a noble the first and only time she’d ever joined Uncle Ray when he did one of his heists. 

When she got back to the bar after seeing him off, there was a mission from Dragon awaiting her. It was about time for the 1520 Reverie and he wanted her to infiltrate it again. This time she’d been tasked with specific goals, certain people Dragon needed dirt on. 

Blaze felt her heart race as she began to plan. She'd grown so much since the last time she did this. Time to see how much she’d improved.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secret fake relationships and helping out friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot happen this chapter. Might take longer to get out the next two chapters.

Three months after leaving Paradise behind, Ace trekked uphill through the snow in the direction of a lit-up cave hidden in the mountains. He crew was behind him. They’d stopped begging him to change his mind hours ago and were mostly just grumbling now. 

This was something he just had to do. There was a pit of vipers in his stomach as they approached but Ace remembered his little brother’s stupid grin and steeled his spine. 

He stepped into the cave and was immediately surrounded by hostile glares and infamous, older pirates. 

“The famous Fire Fist, super rookie, coming to greet me?” A tall man in the middle asked. Ace heard the clinking of a sword and saw the man reach down to grab a blue hilt. 

“Ah no, no,” Ace said hurriedly. “I came to say thank you. You saved my little brother’s life. Luffy’s never shut up about you.” Ace bowed his head like Makino had taught him. “Thank you.”

“Luffy’s brother? Why didn’t you say so! Men! A feast for new friends. Now come over and tell me about yourself.” The man let out a happy laugh and the entire cave relaxed. Even the air got lighter. 

Ace’s shoulder slumped slightly in relief. He stepped forward into the loose circle of men around the captain and the light from the fire lit up the red head’s face. “EH? I know your face.” He exclaimed. 

“Hmm? You do, do you?” Shanks asked curiously. 

Ace tilted his head and squinted. “Yeah, a little bratty girl I know from Sabaody. You look just like her.”

“Bwhahaaha!” Shanks erupted into a laugh. “You hear that men? I look like a little bratty girl from Sabaody.”

Ace spluttered, “Oh shit no, that’s not what I meant to say at all!”

A blonde man threw himself down next to Ace with a hand on his shoulder while the rest of the Red-Haired pirates laughed loudly at some joke Ace was sure he was missing. “Her name wouldn’t happen to be Blaze, would it?” 

“Yeah! How’d you know?” Ace asked as his eyes widened. 

“Well…” The blonde drawled. “Children do tend to look like their parents, after all.”

“Parents….” Ace trailed off with a look at the devilishly grinning Shanks. “Oh my god, you’re Blaze’s dad?”

“Sure am.” Shanks smirked. Yeah, he looked just like Blaze with that smug little grin on his face. Ace didn’t know how he’d missed it for even a second “Looks like we’ve got some family connections, huh kid?”

Ace nodded faintly. 

“How about this, you tell us all about yourself and growing up with Luffy. Then about how you know Blaze. And we’ll share our food and booze! Sound like a deal?”

Ace could only chuckle as he remembered the last deal he’d made with a redhead. Maybe it ran in the family? “Deal.”

Then he remembered that the old deal had included a date, new tattoos, a lot of alcohol, dancing until sunrise, and waking up Shanks’s daughter’s bedroom. Ace paled again, suddenly way more nervous than he’d been walking into the cave. He wasn’t going to breathe a word of that wild night on pain of death. 

———

One year after the end of the 1520 Reverie, Blaze is sixteen and very far away from Sabaody. Her luck had run out on only ever getting missions to wet or naturally foggy places. This time, she was undercover in the kingdom of Alabasta. Her main contact when arriving in the country was the revolutionary liaison to the Alabasta Rebel Army and her job was to find out if there really was a poneglyph in the kingdom and if so, ensure it was protected. She’d also been tasked with getting Nico Robin in touch with the revolutionary army. 

It was by far the most complex and lengthy mission she’d ever taken. She’d quit her job at the Bistro shortly after returning from Mary Geoise after the last Reverie. With what she’d learned, she’d known Dragon would be asking something like this from her. The Five Elders had stepped up their attempts to harness the Ancient Weapon. Blaze was suspicious it was the true reason they were letting the Kingdom of Alabasta fall to a warlord. 

She’d shared her suspicions with Dragon and he’d agreed. It was far easier to take over a kingdom when the one you were deposing was a warlord and not a world noble. 

But the information was dangerous and the fewer people that knew what she knew, the better. 

It had been hard to leave her home. Shakky had hugged her constantly for a week before she had taken off and Uncle Ray could often be found gazing out the window with a frown. He was the smartest man she'd ever met but Blaze knew him well enough to know when he let his overactive imagination take over. She did her best to hug him when that happened. He always welcomed her affection. 

She knew they’d not wanted her to go. They’d promised Shanks to keep her safe and they couldn’t keep that promise when she was halfway across the Grand Line. 

It was important though. And they’d never tried to restrict her freedom to do as she felt necessary to help others. Her father would understand and she was strong enough to take care of herself.

She couldn’t wear her hip and chest pads in the desert. It was simply too hot. Fortunately, Blaze was mid-way through puberty. Her breasts were slowly filling out her bra and her hips had widened a great deal. With the right amount of makeup, a blonde wig, and a revealing dress, Blaze was confident she passed for at least 18. A slim 18-year-old, short too, but good thing she was wearing heels. 

She’d folded herself into the daily operations of the Rainbase Casino. She knew the poneglyph was in the capital city of Alubarna so she’d focused her attention on getting in contact with Nico Robin. Her experience working at the Bistro for so long was invaluable here. With the bounty hunters crawling everywhere and the bustle of the crowds hiding shady underground dealings, Blaze almost felt right at home. 

Blaze was ashamed to admit it but she recalled very little of the storyline of Alabasta. She knew Crocodile was Mr. Zero and behind the civil unrest, the Five Elders had spoken about it enough to jog her memory. She knew Nico Robin was Miss All Sunday, and she knew the Poneglyph was somewhere in the capital. 

It was enough information to have a leg up but not nearly enough to stand on.

Travel time from Sabaody to Sandy Island had taken two months and then another week from the port to Rainbase. She’d rented a room from an old widow whose children had long since fled the nest and interviewed with the assistant manager of the casino, Ultraking. 

He was nowhere near as intimidating as Ricardo but seemed capable enough. She’d gotten the job with no issue. Before the end of the first week, she’d had the entire place mapped out, hidden lower levels and all. 

She’d seen nothing of Nico Robin or Crocodile. Listening around brought very little to light. The majority of people were tourists or low-level bounty hunters. The employees of the casino knew nothing about the true intentions of their boss and all but worshipped the ground Crocodile walked on. 

He was the Hero of Alabasta, protecting it from dastardly pirates. With faith in King Cobra at an all-time low after the dance powder scandal, and the princess having not been seen in months, the people had latched onto a new symbol of hope. 

Blaze found herself impressed. Crocodile had played these people masterfully. As despicable as it was, if she was ever planning on overthrowing a kingdom and didn’t care about bloodshed, she’d probably have a similar plan. 

Too bad in less than a year the plan would be reduced to rubble due to the maelstrom known as the Straw Hat Pirates. 

Unlike on previous missions, where she’d written a report and sent it through a nondescript messenger, this time Blaze was equipped with a Den Den Mushi and a number that linked directly to Dragon. Or rather, Dragon’s assistant. The person who frequently noted down her reports was a soft spoken woman and she took down all the reports that came in through the leader’s white Den Den Mushi. 

Blaze didn’t know her name and she didn’t want to. The women probably knew enough to make the World Government kill her on sight. Dragon had to trust her implicitly as well. As much as Blaze loved information, she did not envy the woman her job. 

—— 

It took three more months to get into contact with Nico Robin. Blaze had begun to go stir crazy two and a half months ago. The pressure of a long term undercover assignment in hostile territory far away from her home was getting to her. 

She’d started a habit of flirting outrageously with strangers at bars and stealing all their money as a form of stress relief. Uncle Ray really was such a terrible influence. Once upon a time, she’d had a moral compass. She would never have stolen from anyone. Now? She did it for fun. The bounty hunters in this town made it so easy they were practically asking to get robbed. 

It was quite a thrilling pastime. And it paid off. She’d gone to a nicer bar after another fruitless day 0f snooping at work and seen Nico Robin sitting alone at a table in the back, shrouded in darkness and observing her surroundings intently. 

Blaze, clad in her blonde wig, heels, and slinky dress, gazed at her from the corner of her eye as she sipped a fruity cocktail. Nice Robin looked very little like her bounty poster. She was breathtakingly beautiful in person. Long, tanned legs and toned arms. Gorgeous and silky black hair with a blue sheen. She had a long white coat resting in the chair next to her and the absence of it on her body exposed enough skin to make Blaze’s mouth run dry.

She signaled for two new drinks from the bartender, then got up and approached the woman. “Hey pretty lady, this seat taken?” She asked with a coy smile.

Nico Robin looked her up and down and waved a graceful hand towards the empty seat at her table, “Please, sit.” 

Blaze sat. She slid the extra drink over. “For you. It’s very good, I think the bartender called it a Tequila Sunrise. I’m Blaze.”

“Blaze,” Nico Robin said. Blaze didn’t know how but the dark-haired woman made her name sound like the sweetest sin. “Robin. Nice to meet you.”

“I assure you, the pleasure is all mine.” Blaze drawled and looked at Robin from underneath her eyes. “Whats a beautiful woman like you doing alone in a place like this?”

“Hmm, enjoying my own company. And you?”

“Looking to make some friends. I’m new around here.”

“I can tell, most people know better than to approach me.”

“Maybe I do know better.” Blaze mussed. “Or maybe I’ve been so enchanted by you I’ve lost all my sense.” She winked at the older woman. 

Robin laughed, looking startled at the sound. “You’re awfully bold, aren’t you.”

Blaze grinned. “If it works.” She looked at Robin’s untouched drink. “I didn’t poison it.”

The older woman raised a delicate brow. “No? forgive me for not believe you.”

“Fair enough. Here, take mine. It’ll be like an indirect kiss.” Blaze winked at the woman again as she slid her half-finished drink over and took Robin’s full one. The other women laughed at her again but took the drink. 

“What brings someone like you here? You’re not from Alabasta.”

“Ahh did the accent give it away? I thought I’d hidden it.”

“It’s not bad, but I have very sensitive ears.”

“Ohh really? I’d love to test that for myself. Sensitive anywhere else?” She grinned roguishly. Shakky said she looked exactly like her father with that expression on her face.

Robin actually blushed and Blaze counted it as a win. 

“Avoiding the question, I see.”

“I’m here on business.” Blaze took a pen out of the small bag she kept on her when going out. She grabbed a cocktail napkin from the table and drew a quick picture. She slid the napkin over to Robin. 

The woman’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at the drawing before narrowing in suspicion.

“What do you want with me?” She hissed, all the levity was gone from her tone and her shoulders tensed. 

“Relax, beautiful.” Blaze leaned forward and lowered her voice. “We just want to meet you, feel you out. Our leader hates what happened on your island and we’re working to make sure things like that never happen again. You’re quite the inspiration to us, you know”

Robin tensed even further. “What? Inspiration?”

“Defying the government as you did. Escaping their clutches for so long. Surviving despite all odds. They have a nickname for you even.

The other woman looked curious despite herself. “Oh?”

“They call you the Light of the Revolution.”

“What?” Robin asked looking truly shocked and confused. 

“I won’t say anything else here. It’s not safe.” Blaze added and Robin nodded hesitantly. Blaze could see she was still guarded, and while disappointed her attempts at getting the woman to relax were wasted, she understood. 

Blaze let the woman take in all that she’d told her. “But I’d love to tell you more if you’re interested.”

Robin looked at her with dark eyes. “Fine, come with me.” She stood abruptly. Throwing on her coat she made to stalk out of the bar. Blaze caught her by the arm before she could go far and brought her in close. “Don’t be so suspicious, beautiful. Eyes are everywhere. Let’s take our time.”

Robin forcibly relaxed her shoulder and took a breath to compose herself. Anyone looking at them would see two people gazing intently at each other, seeming to be locked in an intimate moment. “You’re terrible.” Robin whispered. 

“Ah well, it’s part of the charm.”

Blaze linked her arm around Robin’s and leaned against the woman. She was a good foot shorter even with her heels. “Lead the way.”

The two made their way out of the bar and to the Casino. Robin lived there in the lower levels and had taken steps to ensure her room was secure. Blaze would do her own checks before revealing anything truly sensitive. 

They were quiet on the walk. With the sunset and cooling temperature, they looked like two lovers on an evening stroll. As they reached the casino and walked through the lower levels. Blaze idly glanced around her, “This place is incredibly ostentatious.” A fact she’d long come to terms with about the establishment. 

Robin huffed a laugh. A strong presence pinged off the edge of her senses and Blaze suddenly stopped walking. She turned to back into a wall, pulling Robin with her until the other woman was bracing herself to avoid squishing her, hands pressed on either side of the girl’s head. Blaze had her arms locked around the older women’s waist. Their breath mingled in the air between them.

“You have five seconds to unhand me,” the older woman hissed. Her eyes startled. 

“Shh, someone’s coming.” Blaze whispered. 

“What? How would-” Robin was cut off as Blaze shoved her lips onto the other woman’s right as the strong presence she’d felt rounded the corner. Blaze was standing on her toes to reach the other women’s lips but she could feel her tense frame against her body.

“Ehehehe, What is this?” Crocodile asked in a low and amused tone abruptly stopping at the sight of them. To him, it appeared that Robin had her pinned to the wall. 

Robin ripped herself away from Blaze and both women turned to the voice. “Ah, Boss. You’ve returned.”

“So I have.” He agreed with a smirk. “Who’s the jailbait?”

Robin stepped back from Blaze with a faint blush. “Ah, well.”She stopped, not sure what to say. Crocodile only looked more amused. 

Blaze straightened from where she’d been leaning on the wall. “Blaze, nice to meet you.” she inclined her head in a respectful nod. As much as she didn’t actually respect the man, it wouldn’t do to blow her cover. She did still work in his casino after all. 

“We were just going.” Robin said. “If you’ll excuse us.”

“Who am I to stand in the way of young love?” The large man chuckled again, a sinister edge to it this time. Robin grabbed Blaze by her hand and dragged her past him. She threw a little wave and followed the older women. 

They stepped into Robin’s room less than a minute later. She slammed the door and immediately took several large steps away from Blaze. “You.” she said. “Are Terrible.”

“No,” Blaze said, humming as she took in her surroundings. “I’m a spy. There’s a difference.”

“Not from where I’m standing.” Robin sighed as she took a seat on the only chair in the room. 

Blaze wandered over to her while letting her mist flow through the room and check for traps or listening equipment. She found none. “A devil fruit?” Robin asked. 

Nodding as she sat on the edge of Robin’s bed, “The Fog Fog fruit.”

“Tell me about the revolutionaries.” Robin demanded. “We’ve been playing your game long enough and it’s private here.”

“I will. I’ll tell you what we want and our goals. I think you will find we have quite a lot in common.” Blaze looked the woman directly in the eyes. “But knowledge once gained can never be unlearned.”

Robin scoffed. “Remember who you’re talking to and spare me the warnings.”

“I just want you to know what you’re agreeing to, Robin. It’s deadly, what I’ll share with you.”

“Good thing I don’t fear death then.” She retorted with a bland stare. 

At the reminder, Blaze slowly nodded. “Fine. Let’s see, I think I’ll start with the beginning.”

—————-

Blaze and Robin continued to meet up for the next couple of months. Frequently rendezvousing in the city or Robin’s bedroom. Crocodile had caught her leaving Robin’s room in the dead of night more than once after a long evening spent talking together. Robin had warmed up to Blaze after that first night, though she could still be distant at times, a faraway look in her eyes and face unreadable. 

The older woman told her that her boss thought they were in a relationship and he teased Robin over Blaze’s apparent youth. Blaze had a hard time imagining the man teasing anyone playfully given what she knew but it was as good a cover as any. Blaze quite enjoyed it. She genuinely liked Robin as a person and what started as meetings to exchange information gradually turned into a true friendship. 

They both obviously still had secrets from one another but months of hanging out and going on lunch dates meant that when it was time for Blaze to leave Rainbase, she was genuinely sad to be leaving Robin. 

They’d meet again on the seas one day though, she knew it. But the older woman had been sent to Whiskey Peak and Blaze knew it was time to get out of the country. 

She’d handed in her resignation to Ultraking and packed up all the stuff she’d accumulated. The widow she’d rented from was sad to see her go, but she was also the only person who Blaze told about leaving. 

She was traveling with a group of merchants headed to Nanohana. Once there, she’d meet up with the revolutionary liaison then head back to Sabaody. She’d given her last report to Dragon’s assistant via Den Den Mushi already. 

Blaze felt a little guilty about leaving without saying goodbye to Robin but it was for the best. She’d given the woman all the information she needed to make a decision. She already told Dragon about the poneglyph. She’d written her report on Crocodile. She was done here. 

Plus, the redhead didn’t want to run into the Straw Hats. She’d ditched her disguise and donned a tan traveling cloak that covered her entire body. Every other merchant was wearing a similar cloak so she didn’t stand out. 

The week it took to reach Nanohana was uneventful. She did learn more about the rebel movements in the south from one of the more gossip prone merchants. But nothing truly important. 

They arrive at the port city in the late morning. Blaze headed straight for a hotel to shower and change clothes. She felt disgusting from the trip and was in desperate need of new clothes. She noticed a shop with gorgeous silk and sheer fabric and had entered almost before she could help herself. 

Her shopping addiction was becoming a problem. There was no room in her bag for more stuff. But… it wouldn’t do to not fit in with the locals. 

She left with a beautiful golden ensemble that contrasted delightfully with her tanned skin and red hair. With her golden earrings and the chain necklace her father had bought her years ago, Blaze thought she looked pretty good. She admired herself in the mirror of her hotel room, hair still dripping wet from the shower. 

A grumbling stomach took her back out into the streets. It was afternoon now. She wandered into the first restaurant she came across. lured by the smell of sizzling meat. 

Her heart nearly leaped into her throat when she saw the familiar face at the bar. “Ace?!”

Fire Fist Ace looked up and his eye’s widened. “Blaze?!”

What the hell was he doing on this island? Blaze had no memories of this at all. Maybe she’d changed something. 

“What are you doing here!?” They asked each other at the same time. 

Blazed laughed, feeling true joy bubble up in her chest as she leaned over to embrace her old friend. “I’m so happy to see you.”

Ace blushed at the affection, “Yeah, me too. You’ve gotten taller.”

“Well, it's been over 2 years. That tends to happen. You’ve gotten more muscle, I see.” Blaze trailed admiring eyes over his exposed back.

He pushed her away. “Gross! Get off. Geez, you haven’t changed at all.” She chuckled but let off teasing him as she sat and ordered. They made small talk until the food arrived. Ace still stuffing his face. 

“But seriously, what are you doing here? I’d heard you joined the Whitebeards.” She asked as she dug into her food. 

Ace scowled. “Hunting down a traitor. "

“A traitor?” She asked curiously.

“Yeah,” Ace agreed not seeming inclined to share anything else. “What about you?’

“Oh, just the usual. Information is always waiting for me to come to collect it, even in the desert.” She waved dismissively, not eager to share the fact she’d been undercover for the past nine months. In fact, her seventeenth birthday was soon and she hoped to be back home in time to celebrate with Shakky and Uncle Ray. 

“Still up to the same old tricks then.” 

“Always, Hot stuff.” Blaze winked. Ace tried to scowl but she could see the grin edging its way onto his lips. 

“Don’t call me that, you brat!”

She would have given a witty retort if the man hadn’t chosen that moment to face plant into his plate of fried rice. Used to it, she just stole a strip of steak from his plate and continued eating, waving off the worried people that started to make a fuss.

The peace didn't last long. A large marine smoking a cigar and towering over the people surrounding him entered the restaurant. His white hair gleamed under the light and Blaze licked her lips when she caught a glimpse of his abs from his open jacket. That guy was smoking hot. 

From where the marine was standing, Ace’s new tattoo was on full display. The Whitebeard jolly roger leaving no doubt that the sleeping man was a pirate. 

She surreptitiously shook Ace awake then scooted away from him. Blaze wasn’t trying to get noticed by any marines. He blearily took in his surrounding before turning to face the marine, rice still clinging to his face. “Bwuh?” 

The marine’s already scowling face darkened farther. “Fire Fist Ace, you are under arrest.”

Ace blinked at the man then smirked a challenge as the men turned to face each other fully. Blaze took note of the smoke that started to curl unnaturally around their legs. Ahh, shit. Seems like he’d noticed they were together. 

A sudden crash echoed through the restaurant as the door and a good portion of the wall exploded inwards straight into the marine’s back. The momentum pushed the marine abs first into Ace’s face and through the bar. Actually, Blaze noticed as she leaned over to look at the new hole, through several walls. She’d be jealous of Ace getting up close and personal with those muscles but that looked like it probably hurt quite a bit. 

Euphoric shouting drew her attention to the boy suddenly sitting at her side demanding food and Blaze couldn’t help but laugh. Seems she was fated to meet Monkey D. Luffy after all. 

He looked at her plate as he waited impatiently. “You going to eat that?”

“No,” she said amused. “Take it.”

“Wow, so nice!” Blaze blinked at the food was gone. “Thanks!”

He vibrated in place until more food was set in front of him. She settled her bill and left him to it. Blaze had a feeling she should gather her stuff from the hotel and check out, she might need to make a quick getaway. 

The next half hour saw Blaze meet quickly with the revolutionary liaison and make her way to the docks, intent on stowing away on a ship heading towards the Red Line. Getting a ride was child’s play to her nowadays. 

Blaze admired the giant tornado of smoke and fire on the horizon as she swung her legs over the edge of the dock. Seems like Ace had gotten stronger.

Movement caught her eye as she spied several people running towards a small ship. A thought occurred to the girl. They would certainly be heading in the opposite direction she needed to go, but the temptation was too much to resist. 

Giddiness built up in her, a tap dance fluttering in her stomach. She felt like she was about to meet legends. Well, she was about to meet them before they became legends, which was even more exciting. Blaze let herself dissolve as she floated in their direction. Fog covered the entire area as she snuck aboard the Going Merry. 

———

“Showing off, Hot Stuff?” Blaze mused as she allowed herself to reform perched on the roof of the Galley. She’d timed it so the sun would be behind her and tilted her body so the light would catch on her jewelry and highlight her curves. Her back tattoo and a new one on her arm were completely exposed. If someone looked closely, they would see a skull inked into her thigh through the sheer fabric of her pants. The flaming wreck of the Baroque Work’s ships added just the backdrop for a perfect entrance. 

“AAHHH! WHO ARE YOU!?” Came the shouting shortly after. She saw the swordsman grasp a sword hilt and the orange-haired navigator eye up her golden cuffs. 

“Ah, Blaze! You followed me.” Ace grinned up at her, happy to see her. 

“Well. we were in the middle of something, pretty boy.” Blaze winked at him and slowly twisted her body as she jumped to the deck. She turned toward the straw hat-wearing boy, “Permission to come aboard, Captain?” She purred as she leaned in close to him. 

“Sure.” He agreed easily. “Who are you?”

“No! Back! Stay AWAY from my him, Blaze. Oh my god, that’s my brother!” Ace shoved his way between them, roughly pushing her away. 

Blaze laughed. “Jealous?”

“Absolutely not!”

“I was just introducing myself Ace, no need to lose your head.” 

“No, you can go. Bye.” Ace tried to pick her up, presumably to throw her off the ship. Blaze coated her arms in Haki and had him twisted into a pretzel on the deck in front of the crew five seconds later. 

“Aww it's okay, don’t be shy, Ace darling. I’m just teasing.” She cooed. A burst of laughter from Luffy brought him back to her attention. Blaze grinned at him, his smile was infectious. 

Ignoring the protesting Ace, Blaze introduced herself. “I’m Blaze, Ace’s friend. He’s told me all about you.”

“He has?” Luffy looked pleased. “I’m Monkey D. Luffy, the future king of the pirates.”

“Nice to meet you,” she looked around. “And you all?”

“Lovely, beautiful burning flame of my HEART!” The blonde shouted as he spun towards her and grabbed her hands and knelt. “Please allow me to make your acquaintance. I am Sanji, chef, and lover. Please let me serve you in any way.”

Blaze couldn’t have stopped her response if she’d tried. “I can think of a few ways you can serve me, handsome.” She teased with a secret little grin. This was fun. 

“AAHH MY HEART!” Sanji yelled as all his blood rushed from his body through his nose.

“Ignore him,” the navigator said as she shoved the blonde away. “Nami. You said your name is Blaze? You look very familiar. Do I know you?”

“No, you don’t know me. Even if my face is familiar.” 

“No, Nami’s right.” The captain interrupted. “I definitely know your face.” He squinted at her. Ace untangled himself from the deck and stood up. He was scowling at her.

“No. You guys don’t know her. I promise.” Ace added. 

Usopp added, “No, I definitely have seen her face before.” He joined Luffy in squinting at her. The little reindeer at his side just looked confused. 

“Ah well, Its not me you’re recognizing.” Blaze paused to deliberately build the tension. Preparing them for the bomb. “It's my father, Red-Haired Shanks.”

“WHAT!” Was the collective cry. Blaze felt a pleased grin trying to build up, happy at the chaos she was causing. Shakky would have been proud. 

“YOU’RE SHANKS DAUGHTER?” Luffy yelled, face puffing up with shock. “HE DIDN’T TELL ME HE HAD A KID!”

“I’m a secret.” She paused. “But he told me all about you.” Luffy looked only a little placated at that. 

“Ehh Luffy, you know Shanks?” Sanji asked, recovered from his bought of ridiculousness. 

“Yeah, I do. He saved my life when I was a kid!”

“I always wanted to meet the kid my father sacrificed his arm for.”

“Shanks sacrificed his arm for you!?” Nami asked incredulously. 

“Yeah.” Luffy agreed. He turned a burning look her way. “Hey! Join my crew!” 

Ace jumped in, “No way, Luffy. She’s crazy. You don’t want her on your crew!”

“So mean, Ace.” Blaze pouted. She floated over to the Captain, “You really want me on your crew, Luffy?” She settled a hand on his chest and tilted her head at him. Ignoring Ace’s shouts for her to stop touching his little brother in the background.

Luffy looked down at her. “Yeah, Join my crew.” He repeated. 

“I don’t think you can handle me.” She teased while looking into his dark eyes. 

“I can!” He protested. “I can handle you!” 

“Is that a promise?”

“YEAH!” 

“OH MY GOD LUFFY SHUT UP!” Nami suddenly yelled from the side next to a furious Sanji. “You don’t understand what she’s asking!”

“I DO. She wants me to prove I’m stronger than her.” Luffy shouted back with a clenched fist. 

Blaze smirked and stepped back. She fell into a ready stance, “I won’t follow a weak captain. Beat me and I’ll join your crew.”

———

Zoro watched the redhead challenge his captain and pondered how Kuina would have reacted to her. 

He could tell she was strong from simply standing beside her. The sword she carried on her hip was well cared for and obviously used but what really gave it away was the power radiating off her form. 

They’s barely been in the Grand Line for a month and had already encountered incredibly strong people. From the way she’d taken down Fire Fist in the blink of an eye when they’d just watched him fight Smoker and destroy an entire fleet of Baroque Work ships, he could tell she was one of those incredibly strong people. 

“Alright! It's a deal!” Luffy agreed, shifting into a strong stance with his knees bent. 

“SHITTY CAPTAIN DON’T HURT A WOMAN” Sanji yelled. 

“Ahh don’t worry.” Fire Fist interrupted, calmed now that he knew his friend just wanted to fight. “My brother’s strong, but he won’t be able to hit her.”

“What?!” Usopp asked. “Luffy’s never met a problem he couldn’t punch.”

Ace snorted. “That's true. But Blaze is strong. Even I’ve never beat her.”

Zoro straightened and Nami’s jaw dropped. “What? But she’s tiny. Even shorter than Luffy! What do you mean you’ve never beaten her?” The navigator asked. 

“Size doesn’t have anything to do with it.” Ace explained. “Blaze was raised on the Grand Line by some of the strongest people alive. She isn’t weak.”

Zoro shifted his gaze back to his captain and the redhead when he heard her sword slide out of its sheath. It a nice blade. Long and sharp with a blue hilt. She raised it in front of her.

“You ready, Straw Hat?”

“Bring it.”

Zoro didn’t see the redhead move but he heard it as the flat side of her blade impacted rubber. Luffy went flying into the mast. The rest of the crew scrambled out of the way.

His captain bounced back up and threw a punch. She didn’t make a move to dodge. Zoro figured out why as the punch went through her stomach, wisps of mist swirling around Luffy’s fist. She grabbed his wrist and pulled. Zoro thought he saw a glimpse of blackened flesh but wrote it off as a trick of the light. 

Luffy came hurtling through the air towards her and she brought a fist down over his head. Instead of his head absorbing the hit, as it always had no matter what hit it, Blaze’s punch knocked the captain out. It was over before Zoro thought it had even really begun. 

The silence that filled the deck in the moments afterward were filled with the weight of things unsaid. Luffy dangled from Blaze’s hold as she sheathed her sword and laughed awkwardly. “Haha, sorry?”

Zora watched as she gently placed his captain on the ground. He was too shocked to move. As strong as he’d thought the woman was, he still never truly considered the fact that Luffy could lose. And so fast too. 

Ace walked over to them, “Geez, Blaze. Did you really have to be so rough with him? They’re rookies in Paradise!”

Blaze looked sheepish. “My bad.”

Zoro glanced over at the rest of the crew. Their faces said it all. They couldn’t believe there were two monsters stronger than Luffy out there. 

“AH, We need a doctor!” Chopper shouted. 

The swordsman knew one thing. He wanted to beat her. 

————-

When Luffy woke up, he knew two things. One, he’d lost badly to the redhead. Two, one day she would be on his crew. Not today, but when he was stronger and could handle her like he’d promised. 

At dinner, he shared his realizations in between bites of meat. “I want you on my crew. I’m going to fight you and win.” His big black eyes were fathomless as they started at the girl. 

“I look forward to the day, Mr. King of the Pirates.” Blaze said, smiling at the thought. 

Luffy nodded. “SANJI! We need a feast! We’re having a party!”He slammed his hand on the table in emphasis. His brother was here, they’d made a pretty new friend, and soon he’d been beating up a warlord. Time to celebrate!

——-

When the tiny slip of a redhead approached Nami and Vivi late during the night, she was cautious. Nami was an inherently cautious individual and monsters like the girl made her nervous. 

The cute little smile on the girl’s face made her almost doubt what she’d seen with her own eyes. She was incredibly disarming. 

That made her even more dangerous in Nami’s eyes. 

“Hi Nami, Vivi. Lovely night, isn’t it? I love the view of the stars from this half side of the world.”

Vivi nodded. “Excuse me for saying this, but I couldn’t help but notice the scars on your arm.”

“Oh, you recognize those, Princess?” A knowing light entered the red head’s eyes. 

“I knew it!” the royal suddenly exclaimed as a look of wonder filled her face. “I knew I recognized you! From Mary Geoise.”

“Yeah,” Blaze agreed easily. “It’s me.”

“You two know each other?” Nami asked, curious about the girl. 

“Yeah, her father owns a bakery on Sabaody.” A beat of silence as Vivi reviewed what she said and Blaze giggled a little. “Oh,” the princes realized. “That was a lie.”

“Haha sorry, Vivi.”

“Then what in the world were you doing in the Holy Land at a time like that?” Vivi demanded. 

Blaze gave one of her secretive little smiles. Nami had known the girl for less than a day but she was already tired of those grins. She unsubtly changed the subject. “Hey Nami, I have a favor to ask.”

“Sure,” Nami agreed. “For one million beri.”

“Or how about this?” Blaze lifted up a snoozing snail. 

“A Den Den Mushi?” Nami exclaimed. They’d been rare in the East Blue but she was starting the think they were more common on the Grand Line. 

“Yes. After you leave Alabasta, you’ll run into an archeologist. If you give her this number and access to the snail, then the Den Den Mushi is yours.” Blaze waved a slip of paper around as she spoke. 

“How do you know that? Who’s the archeologist?”

“Oh, just an old girlfriend. You know how it is.”

Nami did not in fact know how it was as she’d never had a lover in her life. In fact… She glanced suspiciously at the girl, “You’re definitely younger than me.” She accused. 

“Hey! I’m turning 17 soon. We’re basically the same age!”

“I’m 18, thank you.” Nami snapped at her. 

“You do look very young, Blaze.” Vivi added gently. 

“Ugh, don’t remind me.”

The girls laughed as the redhead pouted. 

———-

Blaze joined Ace when he left the Straw Hats. She’d convinced him to give her a ride as they were heading in the same direction. The Straw Hats were sad to see them go but promised to meet again on the seas someday. 

Striker, Ace’s boat, was cramped. It wasn’t made for two people but they made it work. They ended up sailing together for two weeks before they landed at a place called Banaro Island. 

She dragged the whole story out of him about Blackbeard killing his crewmate over a devil fruit. The more he spoke the more familiar the story sounded to Blaze. The memories came back to her slowly. She’d known intellectually that Ace was supposed to be executed but the reality was slow to catch up. 

It was hard for her to think anyone could ever be powerful enough to bring Ace down. He was strong, stronger than her by now for sure. He’d been teasing his brother’s crew when he’d told them he’d never beaten her. They hadn’t fought since he left Sabaody years ago. Ace had grown in strength exponentially. If they went all out, Blaze wasn’t sure she’d win. She relied on quick strikes to finish things fast. She didn't enjoy fighting like he did and she definitely didn't have his stamina. 

Blaze been helping him track down Blackbeard since he'd come clean. There was no stopping him and it was better he had backup than going in alone. 

Blackbeard was supposed to be on this island. But he also was supposed to have been on the last three islands they visited as they slowly made their way back towards the Red Line. She wasn’t getting her hopes up.

Ace convinced her to wait by Striker and she agreed. If there was a fight, she could always catch up. 

It was quiet as she waited. Birds chirping and the gentle sound of the waves calming her. 

A loud shot rang out and impacted into the side of Striker. Blaze jumped to her feet and glanced down. The mist around her heart slowly reforming from where a bullet had almost pierced her heart. What the hell? She ducked on the other side of the boat.

She couldn’t sense anybody at all in her range. She strained to expand it.

Wait! There. On the very edge of her range were two men. How the hell had they shot her from that distance? They were getting closer by the minute.

Blaze thanked the seas it hadn’t been a seatone bullet or she’d have been dead.

She sensed what must have been a sniper hang back as the other man approached her. He was huge, with a black shirt tight across his chest and wild lavender hair exploded from the bottom of a mask that covered the top half of his head. 

“Come out, little girl. I know you’re there.” He tauted. 

Umm no. Blaze thought as she started to dissolve herself. Like hell was she sticking around to find that mountain of a man and his sniper friend. Burning pain in her shoulder tore a cry out of her, the sound of a shot echoing around her. Fuck. That had been a seastone bullet. 

She looked up at the boat she was hiding behind. The bullet had come through Stricker to hit her. She’d not even had time to dodge. 

Blaze came to a slow, hard realization. She wasn’t getting out of this without a fight.

She let out a breath to steady herself and drew her sword. This wouldn’t be easy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe clowns weren't so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Biggest chapter yet. Yay!

Blaze woke up in chains. She groaned, her head throbbed and her body ached deep into her bones. She’d overdone it. She didn’t quite remember how she’d ended up overdoing it but a heavy feeling sat in her gut and told her she’d have a hell of a time getting out of it.

“Blaze?” Came a tremulous whisper of her name. It seemed to echo oddly. Where was she?

She opened her eyes. “What’s going on?” Is what she tried to say. It came out unintelligible.

“Hey, Blaze! Keep your eyes open. Look at me!” That was Ace’s voice. He sounded upset. Didn’t she already open her eyes?

She tried again. Forcing heavy lids to peak open and reveal her glazed over green eyes. Ace’s voice was coming from her left. Her head fell to the side. Huh, Ace was in chains too. He looked awful.

“Hey.” She said.

“Hey yourself.” Ace said incredibly relieved. It contrasted oddly to the guilt laying heavy on his brow and their surroundings. “You okay?”

Blaze tried to swallow but her dry throat protested. “What happened?” She croaked out. Her head was throbbing. 

“We lost.”

“Ah.” 

“You’ve been out for days.” Ace added.

“Huh.”

“I thought you were dying.”

“I feel like I’m dying.”

Ace huffed out a laugh. There wasn’t an ounce of humor in it. Just a rough approximation of what a laugh should be.

“We both are probably. We’re in Impel Down. They’ll probably execute me.”

“Oh” Blaze didn’t like that thought. “No.”

“No? Yeah, no I’m pretty sure that’s their plan. And you’re stuck here with me.” Bitterness coated his tongue. Blaze didn’t like that either. “God Blaze, I’m sorry-”

“Shhhh, stop talking. Stop spinning. Am I drunk?”

“No.” Ace deadpanned. “You have a concussion and have lost half the blood in your body. You’re covered in wounds and chained to the wall. You aren’t drunk, Blaze.”

“Boo,” Blaze said. Her eyes closed. Ace let her rest. No use being conscious in Impel Down after all. 

———

Ace had a complicated relationship with Garp. The man was the reason he was alive, but he was also the reason he grew up alone and full of hatred until Luffy came along. 

Garp always wanted them to be marines but Ace thought he was deluding himself. Luffy and Ace both would be killed if the government found out their bloodlines. Dutifully serving the navy wouldn’t change a thing.

When Garp settled in front of his cell several days after Blaze and he had been brought in Ace didn’t really know if he was happy to see him or not. 

“Ace.” Garp spoke with a solemn tone. He was trying to put on his usual grin but it was transparent and didn’t hide the pain in his eyes. “You alive? Those wounds are horrific.”

“Shitty Gramps.” Ace couldn’t look at the man so he let his head drop. Not in shame, but because he knew that Garp wouldn’t do anything to save him and his heart ached at the confirmation that the old man would never choose family over duty. “Come to put me out of my misery? Kill me now and get it over with.”

“Ace, it’s too late for that. Nothing can stop it now. We’ve made the King of the Sea mad as hell.”

Ace wanted to glare at the man but he was too tired to but in the effort. 

Garp spoke about Luffy. About how his little brother had raided Enies Lobby and declared war on the World Government. Garp going to teach him a lesson in Water 7. Ace listened amused at his little brother but not surprised by anything. That’s just who Luffy was. “I told the boy about his father.”

Ace scoffed. “We don’t care about our fathers. The only thing they gave us was cursed blood. To hell with them and to hell with you too!”

The old man ignored him and turned towards familiar talk of wishing they’d been marines and Ace was two seconds away from snapping at him a voice spoke up from beside him.

“You’re delusional, old man. Going senile already?” Blaze said. Ace was surprised to see the redhead coherent. She’d been in and out of consciousness for days. 

Garp turned surprised eyes to the girl. “What was that, you brat?!”

“I said, are you fucking crazy, you old shitty relic?!” Blaze snapped out. “The navy would sooner chop off Luffy and Ace’s head than let them live. You wanted to fucking gift wrap them? What the fuck?” 

“Don’t talk to me like that brat! You don’t know anything!” Garp shouted at the insolent girl. 

Ace felt his neck ache from whipping his head between the two. He’d never seen Blaze that angry. With her face covered in dried blood and her form beaten and bruised, she should have made a pathetic sight. Somehow, she only rediated strength and resolve. Looking at her, nobody could ever call her weak.

“I know more than you think, you stupid monkey!”

Garp was getting riled up. Ace could tell he wanted to smash through the bars and knock the girl on the head before he suddenly stopped. His large, grizzled head turned to the side quizzically. “Shanks’s brat? What are you doing here?”

Blaze scowled at the man. “Oh you know, just hanging around.” She rattled the chain around her wrist. Garp made a face. Ace recognized it as his thinking face. He’d seen it on Luffy often enough to be familiar with the mix of confused frustration. 

“You shouldn’t be here. Nobody recognized you, huh? I guess you are covered in blood. Oh my I wonder it Sengoku knows….” Garp trailed off then erupted into loud guffaws. “BWHAHAHA this isn’t good for the marines if you’re dad finds out.”

“Ha.” Blaze said. “He’s going to destroy you. With Whitebeard’s help. I can’t wait.” She smiled vindictively. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, brat.” Garp hummed. “Oh well. Not my problem.” He looked at Ace again but Ace refused to look at him. If the old man was looking for forgiveness he wouldn’t find it here. Let him rot away with guilt for all Ace cared. 

“I’ll come vist.” Garp left. 

Blaze waited for a minute before slumping in her chains. “You really grew up with that asshat?”

“Yeah, but he wasn’t really around.”

Cold was creeping into Ace’s heart. He turned to look at her friends. “I’m sorry, this is all my fault.”

“What?” 

“You are injured and chained up just for being with me. When Blackbeard brought me in his crewmates threw you down with me. They told the marines you were my partner and just as dangerous. That’s the only reason your here.”

“Pffft.” Blaze scoffed. “Shut it, Hot stuff. I’m here because I nearly beat those two crewmate to death. I’m here because I was helping a friend. Don’t try to dismiss my choices like that.”

“No you don’t get it, Blaze! You don’t know who I am.”

“Oh my god, you’re as stupid as the monkey. Didn’t you hear what I said to him? I know who you are Ace. I’ve always known.”

“What? No that’s impossible!”

“Its not.”

“You know… my father?”

“Yes.” She paused. “But even if I didn’t know that, I’d still know you are are. You are Fire Fist Ace, second commander to the Whitebeard Pirates. Luffy’s brother. A stupid hot head. My friend.”

Ace didn’t say anything. 

“Don’t you dare feel guilty, Ace. I’m right where I want to be. Next to my friend. I will never regret that. ”

Hesitantly, he nodded. Ace’s eyes were burning with tears. He let them fall. 

——-

“Hey! Is that Blaze?” Cat Burgular Nami asked as she saw the picture pinned to the wall behind the bar. Shakky looked up at it.

“You know her?” She asked. Nonchalantly smoking a cigarette as she served the Straw Hat Pirate crew, Hatchi, and their mermaid friend drinks.

“Ehh, Blaze? Where?” Straw Hat Luffy asked, whipping his head around as if the redhead was hiding in the corner. “I bet I could beat her now!”

“There. In the picture.” Nami pointed. It was a cute picture, Shakky though. Taken when Blaze had been on the archipelago for a year. Shakky, Rayleigh, and Blaze were posing while at the amusement park. It had been the girl’s first time. Shakky felt herself smile at the memory. 

“So tiny! She’s always been small, huh?” Usopp asked. The older woman hadn’t seen her foster daughter in nearly a year. She missed her terribly. Rayleigh worried about her being all alone on the Grand Line without a crew but Shakky worried about her biting off more than she could chew. It was dangerous work that she was doing. 

“Yes, she has.” Shakky said. 

“How do you know, Blaze?” Nami asked. 

“I asked you first,” she teased. 

“Oh right,” Nami blushed. “We met her in Alabasta. She was with Luffy’s brother Ace.”

Shakky felt her eyes widen. “Ace was with her?” A ominious feeling started to build. 

“Yeah, you know my brother too?” Luffy asked. 

Shakky nodded. “Ace stopped by several years ago and befriended Blaze. We raised her, to answer your question.”

“You raised that girl?” Zoro asked while glancing around. “You’re a swordsman?”

“Haha, seas no. My husband is though. He taught her.”

The swordsman nodded and laid a hand on his hilts, “He’s here?”

“No. I haven’t seen him in 6 months.” Which was an exaggeration but not by much. Her dear husband had been much less inclined to stick around without Blaze there to need him. Shakky often found herself missing the old days when they had dinner together most nights. 

“Ah man, Rayleigh’s gone? I was going to hire him to coat the Straw Hats ship.” Hatchi said.

“He’s somewhere on the archipelago. You’ll have to look for him.”

“Ahh right! To the amusement park then!” The captain decided. 

“There’s no way he’s there!” The navigator yelled. 

“But that’s where he is in the picture,” Luffy pouted. 

“Ugh, we’ll split up to look for him.”

“Fine. I’ll look at the amusement park”

“Me too!” Chopped chimed in.

The group left quickly after that. Leaving Shakky alone in her bar once again. Hmm, so Blaze was with Ace then? 

————

The flyer announcing Ace’s execution arrived right after the Straw Hat pirate crew left her bar after punching a Celestial Dragon. Rayleigh had left to go coat their ship shortly after. 

Hatchi laid bandaged on a table with the mermaid and Papagu tending to him. The glass in Shakky’s hand shattered on the floor as she read between the lines of the of the flyer. 

“What? Shakky whats wrong?”

The women lifted a trembling hand to her mouth. The flyer detailed the capture of Ace and his unamed female accomplice. They were both imprisoned at Impel Down, Ace scheduled for execution in less than two weeks and no further mention of Blaze. 

Camie came up to her and grabbed her arm. “Please, sit. Take a breath.”

Shakky let herself be lead. Thougths racing in her head. “Its Blaze.”

“Your daughter?” Hatchi asked with a look at the photo on the wall. Shakky’s heart squeezed, Blaze was her daughter in every way that mattered. 

“She’s been captured. Imprisoned at Impel Down.”

“What? Thats terrible! Oh no.” 

“How awful. What can we do?”

Shakky let out a breath and steeled her spine. “Let me get in touch with some people.”

No way in hell she was letting her daughter rot away in prison. 

———————

Blaze was incredibly bored in her jail cell with Ace. She longed desperately for a bath and some of Uncle Ray’s cooking. He really did make the best fire roasted stew. 

The large man in the cell across from her wouldn’t stop squinting at her either. It was starting to piss Ace off. Blaze tried to avoid looking at the man, not wanting to make things awkward. 

It only worked for so long though. Especially when there wasn’t anything to distract him.

“You’re Robin’s girlfriend.” Crocodile accused. 

Caught. Blaze winced. “Ex-girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Ace asked. “The hell, you’re too young for a girlfriend!”

Blaze leveled a truly dry look at her friend. “You know what Ace, you really don’t want to go there.”

“Ex-girlfriend, huh? I heard she ran off with Straw Hat. Tough luck, kid.”

“It was amicable.”

“You look different.”

“Ehh you know how it is. Gotta reinvent yourself after a heartbreak. Plus all the blood…..” Blaze shrugged.

“Heartbreak?” Ace yelped. “This Robin girl broke your heart?”

“They were really in love,” Crocodile added. “I caught her sneaking out of Robin’s room all the time. You looked so happy together. It was digsuting.” He sneered but Blaze thought his heart wasn’t in it. 

“Oh man Blaze, I’m sorry. That really sucks.” Ace sympathized. “Is that why you were trying to get out of Alabasta so fast?”

Blaze nodded. “Sure was.” 

“It’ll get better. Marco says that to all the lovestruck fools on Pop’s ship.”

If Blaze wasn’t having so much fun fucking with him, she would have been touched by his attempts at comfort. 

As it was, she wideded her eyes and looked at her friend. “You think so?” She asked with a waver in her voice. 

Ace’s whole face softened, “Yeah! There’s someone out there for you! You’ll find that perfect someone one day.”

“Please,” Crocodile scoffed from across the way. “That’s a load of shit. Love doesn’t exist. and neither do soulamtes.”

“Woah Crocodile, careful. Your trauma’s showing.” She piped up. 

He glared at her. “Love is just a tool to manipulate people. Like Robin manipulated you for sex, jailbait.”

“Don’t talk to Blaze like that, Asshole! I’ll kick your ace!”

“Yeah, you and what army, kid?”

“Fuck you, if I wasn’t in these chains you’d be a pile of glass you cocky son of a bitch .”

“I’d pummel you to death first you insolent child!”

Blaze watched the guys bicker. Hmm, maybe she could do this more often? It was nice to see Ace so lively again. The weight of his chains and guilt pressed heavily on his shoulders. She hated seeing him so beaten and hopeless.

———

The guards were truly awful in Impel Down. She was the only female on this level and they didn’t let her forget it. Constantly making crude remarks and threats that incensed her hot headed friend. She’d like to see them try to touch her. She may not have access to her devil fruit due to the seastone cuffs, but she could still break someone’s neck with her thighs if she wanted. 

They accused her of being Ace’s lover when she first arrived. His subsequent gagging as he adamantly refused them was a little much in her opinion but they’d let off that round of insults pretty quickly. 

“I’m not that hideous Ace, Geez.” She’d said, offended despite herself. 

Ace gagged again. “No Blaze, you’re like a little sister. I could never.” He looked like he was turning green just thinking about it. Blaze pouted, there goes any chance of her ever getting her hands on those muscles. Sister-zoned, was there anything worse?

One day, about a week, after they’d been brought in, a large blue fishman was chained up on Ace’s other side. He seemed supremely irritated. Blaze recognized him immediately, as did Ace. 

“Jinbe?! Why are you here? You’re a warlord!” Ace asked, sounding shocked. 

“Ace,” Jinbe nodded. “Good to see you again.” He avoided the question by looking around the suddenly cramped cell. Their eyes met. “Shanks girl?”

Blaze nodded. “Jinbe. It’s been a while.”

“You’ve really grown.” He observed. 

She shrugged, her chains clanking around her. “Of course. It’s been years. I was a child last I saw you.”

“Hmm, so it has. How time flies.”

Ace interrupted. “Don’t act so calm, Jinbe! Why are you here?”

The fishman looked uncomfortable. “I refused to follow their orders.”

Ace wasn’t buying it. “Other warlords do that all the time.”

“I might’ve been a little… passionate in my refusal.”

“Really? What would get you so worked up?”

Jinbe was quiet. Blaze didn’t like where this was going. “They asked me to fight against the Whitebeard pirates at your execution.”

“…What?” Ace whispered. 

Blaze hated to see that vulnerable look on her friend’s face. She knew he’d been aware of the possibility of execution, but hearing it confirmed was a different story. To hear his family was going to fight for him? Blaze knew him well enough to know how he’d react to that.

“A fight?” He finally asked. 

“A war, most likely.” Jinbe corrected. “Whitebeard won’t let something like this slide. I won’t either. My heart craves justice, it wants war. I’d lay down my life to stop this, Ace.”

The Warlord’s words echoed in the cell. A moment passed and Ace tried to absorb his friend’s conviction. 

Jinbe glanced over at Blaze. “Does your father know your here?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably not?”

Jinbe chuckled bitterly. “The navy better hope he doesn’t find out. They couldn’t handle two emperors at a time like this.”

——-

Red Hair Shanks was furious. He’d never been this angry in his life. The Red Force was currently sailing directly toward’s Whitebeards ship. 

He’d warned that old man about the danger of Blackbeard. Whitebeard hadn’t listened. He’s shrugged him off. Now not only was his only child imprisoned in Impel Down thanks to that bastard, but his old captain’s only son was scheduled for execution.

He was keeping a tight rein on his conquerors Haki but his crew could feel the maelstrom of emotions swirling off the Captain. 

When the Red Force pulled up next to the Moby Dick, Shank’s didn’t wait for the crew to secure a line before jumping to the larger ship. The Whitebeard pirates bristled and armed themselves but Shanks paid them no mind as he stomped up to the other Yonko. 

“Brat. Back so soon. We’re busy. Leave” Whitebeard glard down at him and Shanks nearly lost his tight control over his temper.

“I would if you’d taken responsibility for Blackbeard before it came to this.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Shanks.” Whitebeard nearly bellowed. “This is a family matter! Ace’s blood had nothing to do with it.”

“His blood has everything to do with it!” Shanks shouted back. “But you’re right. This IS a family matter. Because you know who got captured with Ace?”

Whitebeard raised an imperious brow. Shanks really didn’t like the old guy. 

“My Daugher. Blackbeard himself delivered her to those Navy bastards. ”

The red-haired pirate ignored that gasp from those around him. Her blood had already been discovered by the navy, soon it’d be common knowledge. She wasn’t a secret he could keep anymore. 

“I see.” Whitebeard sat back in his chair. “Very well. We plan to storm Marineford the day of the execution to rescue Ace.”

“The Red-Haired Pirates will accompany you.” 

“As is your right, as a Father,” Whitebead agreed.

They planned for the next hour before Shanks left. He had one other person to pick up on the way. 

—————-

“Sengoku, Sir! The Red-Haired Pirates have been spotted with Whitebeard. Informants claim the men will be working together!”

“Shanks and Whitebeard? Why the hell would they work together? They hate each other.”

Garp, munching on his crackers in the corner, erupted into laughter. “BWAHAHAHA”

Sengoku narrowed his eyes. “What the hell do you know, Garp?”

“Me?” He looked away. “Nothing at all.”

“GARP! This isn’t the time for your antics!” 

“Ahh Senny, calm down. Cracker?”

“GARP!”

“FINE! Geez, so uptight.” The old man reached for another cracker. “Did you happen to get a good look at the girl they brought in with Ace?”

“His partner? No. She didn’t even have a bounty. She was a nobody.”

“HA! A nobody? That’s rich. BWAHAHA.”

“Garp.”Sengoku hissed. “If you don’t spit it out.”

“Hmm, well how to say this? The girl has hair the exact same shade as that red-haired bastard. She’s practically his clone. Young too. Probably not even 17 yet.”

Sengoku felt the blood drain out of his face. “Are you saying….?”

Garp nodded and shoved an entire handful of crackers into his mouth. “She’s his daughter.” It came out muffled from his full mouth. There was a drop of silence. 

“WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING, YOU IDIOT!”

“IT’S SO OBVIOUS HOW DID YOU MISS IT!”

“I DONT WANT TO HEAR THAT COMING FROM YOU!”

—————-

The day before Ace’s execution, Blaze woke up with a sense of hope. She doesn’t remember why but she knew something was coming. Her knowledge from long ago was next to useless nowadays, only popping up in hindsight or as things happened. It was annoying and she wished she’d written it all down as a child. Too late to do anything about it though.

Ace was despondent next to her. Furious and exhausted too. She really hated seeing it and did her best to keep his spirits up. As awful as it was, she was glad there were here together instead of alone.

Jinbe helped. He told them stories of the sun pirates and his time with the Whitebeards. Blaze told stories of her own when she had the strength. Ace mostly listened. The closer they came to the day of his execution, the less he spoke. 

Footsteps echoing off the stones caused Blaze to look up. A group was approaching, led by the prison wardens, a marine, and Domino. The fifth person accompanying them was a Warlord. A beautiful woman clothed in a long crimson and gold dress. Blaze knew her at once from her bounty poster. Boa Hancock. 

Blaze wasn’t surprised to see her. She didn’t know why. 

“Ace,” the vice warden said. “We’ve brought you a visitor.”

The men crowded in the other cells started to rumble as they caught a glimpse of the warlord. The noise built and built until the stones were echoing their catcalls and desperate shouts for the woman. Boa Hancock remained unphased. 

As Magellan exploded in a rage and transformed his body into a poisonous mess of gas and sludge, Boa Hancock stepped closer to their cell.

The noise was defeating but her eyes were locked on Ace’s. As the warden raged behind her she walked closer to them.

Blaze had to strain to hear but her words struck Ace like a knife to the heart. 

“Luffy is coming. He’s here in the prison and determined to save you. Be ready.”

“What!?” 

“We were separated upon arrival but he won’t let anything stop him, he’s coming for you.”

“..no,” Ace whispered. It sounded like it was punched out of him. The ruckus started to die down as the other prisoners where cowed by Magellan’s poison. 

“Alright, Snake Princess. You can have your conversation with Ace now.” The warden simpered. 

“No,” Boa Hancock said. “I’m done here.”

“Ah already? Uh okay well then…”

Boa Hancock turned with her last words ringing in the air between them. “Ace. He knows you’ll be mad. He’s doing it anyway.” 

Their cell was consumed with oppressive silence as the group left. 

Jinbe spoke up, “Ace, what did she say? That woman is notorious. She’s a spoiled brat. Don’t listen to her”

Ace didn’t say anything. Blaze didn’t know what she could say. She knew Ace well enough to what he was thinking and nothing she could say would soother the torment in his soul at knowing every person he loved was willing to sacrifice themselves for him.

The Whitebeards. Jinbe. Luffy. Hell, even Blaze. The knowledge was burning at him, tearing apart his heart and splitting his soul. 

There was nothing she could say to help. 

“She said…” Ace finally answered. “My brother is coming.”

——-

Marco destroyed half of the twenty-six marine guard ships himself but it did nothing to dampen the flames of his anger. It boiled under his skin whenever his wayward crewmate crossed his mind. 

It’d been a rough couple of months for the Whitebeard Pirates. Losing Thatch. Ace taking off on an ill-advised revenge spree then getting defeated by Blackbeard and thrown in Impel Down. Not the mention Kaido trying to edge in on their territory and Red-Haired Shanks making his surprise visits. 

Marco was Pop’s second in command. He was responsible for every crewmember. He was one of the most powerful men on the crew. He was one of the oldest members of the crew too and he was being spread thin. 

The Den Den Mushi ringing drew his attention. “Marco.” He answered

“Red Force. Beckman here. Our crew just fended off Kaido from an attack in your territory. Shanks wants a favor.”

“Fuck,” Marco cursed. “Opportunistic bastard.” He wasn’t sure which Yonko he was referring to.

“Yeah well, you owe us.”

“What do you want?”

“Captain’s daughter. If you see her, we want your word you’ll protect her.”

“Fine. If she’s that weak to need protection.”

“She’s not weak. But she’s probably in bad shape.” Marco could hear worry underneath the Red Hair’s first mate’s voice. He’d tease him if he wasn’t in the same boat with Ace.

“What does she look like?”

“Exactly like Shanks. But a girl. Green eyes. Her name is Blaze.”

“Blaze, huh? Fine. I’ll give the order.”

Marco wouldn’t hold this against the other crew. But when they saved Ace, he was going to unleash fire and fury on that stupid, hotheaded, stubborn, overpowered, idiotic, self-sacrificing, cocky asshole. He felt the fire reignite in his gut at just the thought. 

———

“Blaze?!”

Blaze looked up at the shocked boy standing outside her cell. She didn’t waste a second. “Luffy! They’ve taken Ace! You have to run, down that hall and maybe you can catch up!” His eyes widened in horror and he froze for a split second. “GO!NOW!”

He took off with only one backward glance at her beaten, bloody, and chained form. 

“That’s Ace’s little brother?” Jinbe asked when they were alone again. Not counting all the other Level 6 prisoners. 

“Yeah.”She said with a worried look in the direction he’d gone. Luffy didn’t look good at all. 

——

“An emergency report from Fleet Admiral Sengoku! The girl brought in with Ace needs to be retrieved immediately and escorted to the entrance. A navy ship is taking her away.”

“What? The redhead? Are they taking her to Marineford to be executed next?”

“No, the ship’s headed elsewhere. That’s all I know, Sir.”

“Very well, send two men to retrieve her. That’s all we can afford to spare right now. Everyone else to Level 2!”  
——-

Blaze held her breath as the sleeping gas invaded Level 6. She couldn’t see what was happening from her cell but she could hear shouting. Luffy and his friends hadn’t made it to Ace. 

The gas cleared out soon enough and Jinbe sighed across from her. “Sounds like they missed him.”

She felt her eyes burning. “Yeah…” Ace being led out of their cell in seastone cuffs, head bowed and fist clenched, would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her probably short life. 

Luffy and his friends came into her view again. He ran up to the bars. “Hey Crab guy, can you cut her out?”

“You know this girl, Straw Hat?” the person with the large head and mascara asked as the other man with them turned his hands into scissors and cut through the bars of her cell.

“She’s my friend.” He followed the scissors guy into her cell and caught her body as it fell when she was cut free.

“Luffy, it’s great to see you.” She sighed in relief. 

He helped her up and let her lean on him as her body protested. 

Her shoulders were on fire from being shackled to the wall for so long. None of her injuries from her fight with Blackbeard’s men had been treated. The heat radiating from the bullet wound in her shoulder told her infection had set in. She was stiff, weak, and smelled like a copper mine. Luffy didn’t hesitate to take all her weight.

“You okay?” He asked. 

“Sure.” She said, not okay at all.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was with Ace when he was captured. They took me down too.”

“Oh. How is Ace?” Luffy looked worried and stressed. 

“Alive. We’ve been in the same cell the entire time. Along with Jinbe.” Blaze nodded at the fishman. “He’s friends with Ace too. And Whitebeard.”

“Oh nice to mee you, Jinbe. Hey, cut him free too!”

Crocodile spoke up from across the walkway, “You’ll need more than those two to break out of here, Straw Hat.”

“Crocodile?!” 

The former warlord nodded. “Cut me free. I’ll help you.”

Luffy looked blankly at him. “No, you hurt Vivi.”

Blaze felt a smile tug at her lips. 

The mascara wearing person spoke up, “We could use him Straw Hat. Don’t worry. I know some things about Croco-boy that’ll keep him in line.”

Crocodile scowled. “Ivankov.”

“Fine.” Luffy agreed. “Let’s just get out of here. I’m in a hurry!”

Blaze shifted so she wasn’t leaning on the captain anymore. She swayed at first but steadied herself. Luffy aimed a concerned look at her. “You look terrible.”

“Thanks. You too.” Blaze grumbled. “You don’t have a plan, do you?”

“Nope.” 

“I didn’t think so. Ace wasn’t happy to hear you were coming from Hancock by the way.”

“Don’t care.”

“But I’m happy you’re here, Luffy.” She looked him in the eye. “Ace is my friend. I need your help to save him.”

Luffy grinned at her. “Hey! That’s my line!”

Ivankov interrupted. “You look, familiar girl. Do I know you?”

“This is Iva, they work for my dad.”

“For Dragon, huh?”Blaze asked. She squinted at Iva. She didn’t remember ever meeting them. She was certain she would have remembered too. They were quite distinctive. 

“Ehh Blaze, how do you know who my dad is?”

“I’d have to be crazy not to know the name of the guy who writes my checks.”

“AHH, I remember.” Iva exclaimed. “You’re Dragon’s little baby spy from Sabaody. You look awful, little girly”

Blaze nodded. “I was. However, I’ve grown up so please don’t call me a baby. or little girly.”

“You worked for my dad too?”

“On and off over the years. He hires me to find out secrets.”

“Like a ninja?! COOL!”

Crocodile and scissors hands made their way over so Blaze changed the subject. She wasn’t trying to reveal that she’d just spend several months spying on his entire operation and was probably half the reason his plan had been exposed to the right people and he’d ended up imprisoned. 

“Let’s just get out of here.”

———-

The frantic fight through six layers of hell was a blur to Blaze. She was half mist and fog the entire time, her stolen sword a Haki covered blur.

Most of the things she remembers from the desperate fight seem too fantastical for belief. Blaze is pretty sure she she didn’t fight a giant chicken but she’d also sure they’d passed one. With Crocodile’s sand sliding around her, Luffy’s shouts, Jinbe’s quiet strength, and Iva’s people surrounding them, Blaze felt like she was in a fever dream. 

The atmosphere was heavy with the weight of their actions and what was still to come. For the first time in her life, Blaze was aware she was part of history in the making. They were going to escape. There was no other option. And when they did the world would blink. Change was on the seas and anyone with an ounce of sense could see it. 

Blaze swiped her sword through a guard and then through ten more. They weren’t a challenge but quantity over quality could slow even legends down. She glance over at Luffy’s fight with the vice warden. He was more than enough to take care of the strange man but the other wasn’t staying down. 

The doors behind them slammed open and the last people she expected to see burst through. 

“Shut it, if you’d look at the world outside you’d see it wasn’t so simple! Cut the crap!” Blackbeard punctuated his world with a stomp on the vice warden. 

Fuck. She wasn’t in any shape to fight Blackbeard and his men. None of them were. She saw the two crewmates who’d taken her down at his side and winced. 

“Teach, what are you doing here?” Jimbe growled at the newcomer. Blaze wiped sweat from her brow then stepped up to stand just behind Luffy on his right side. She wanted to get the hell out of there and the only way was forward. 

“Jinbe, whats with the hostility? Oh yeah, you were friends with Ace ZHEHEHEHE.” Blackbeard cackled as he took in the chaos around him. He eyes fell on her. 

“Oh, its Ace’s little girlfriend. You’re still alive?” She grimaced but didn’t say anything. The sight of Blackbeard and his crew filled her with dread but a glance at Luffy strengthened her.

“So you’re BLACKBEARD.” Luffy growled. 

“Long time no see Straw Hat Luffy. I’m suprised to see Ace’s baby brother here. And a washed up old Warlord too, Crocodile. Actually, I was trying to replace him by killing you Straw Hat. Ace didn’t like that much. Tried to defeat me to save you. ZEHEHEHE we both got the fight we wanted though. He couldn’t let us get away without disgracing Whitebeard or leaving you to die. It was great!”

“There’s no such thing as coincidence, it was Fate.” The sniped added.

“WEEHAHA Old Ace put up a brave fight. It just didn’t work out for him.” The half masked man that Blaze fought back on Banaro spoke up. His voice grated on her ears.

“You better pay your respects Straw Hat, Ace took your place. He’s dead soon so you can live.”

Blaze knew their words were getting to the captain at her side. Before she could do anything, he exploded. 

“If that’s the case, FIGHT ME NOW!”

Luffy threw himself at Blackbeard in a rage. His fist stretch and impacted the warlord so hard it threw him into a wall. Blackbeard screamed in pain and launched his attack. Soon, Luffy was the one screaming in pain as blood streamed down his face. Blaze grit her teeth. She’d not seen Ace and Blackbeard’s fight. She didn’t know what is powers were. 

“You don’t even know what I did. ZHEHEHEHE Ace had the same dumb look on his face! My darkness can pull you in and absorb your devil fruit power! Thats how I broke your miserable brother.”

“SO WHAT? It doesn’t matter!” Luffy launched himself at the man again but Jinbe intercepted him.

“Luffy STOP! That’s enough. Calm down. What’s you’re objective here?” The fishman reminded Luffy. 

“Let go of me!”

“Fighting this man isn’t going to help. I don’t know where the cretin got his powers. He’s a mystery. We need to focus on Ace. This isn’t helping!”

Blaze nodded. “I hate this man just as much as you, Luffy, But we need to go.”

“You’ve gotten stronger since we last met Straw Hat.” Blackbeard taunted. Blaze was doing her best to avoid looking at the man. He was an unpleasant beast of a man and the sight of him made her sick. 

“So you’re name is Blackbeard? I’ve hear so much about you.” Crocodile drawled from her left. “This is odd. Why are you here? You should be at Marineford. "

Blackbeard grinned widely. “It’s all part of my grand scheme. Want me to lay it out for you?”

“No. I couldn’t care less.” The former warlord replied coldly. Blaze snickered at the taken aback look on Blackbeards face. Maybe Crocodile wasn’t so bad after all. 

A thunderous explosion shook the prison around them. Fuck. What now?

“Warden Magellan is here!”

“Everybody run!”

“Hey Straw Hat, hit those staires. Get to Level 3.” Someone shouted. 

The chaos increased around them. Jinbe tried to hustle them along. Luffy didn’t move. Blaze stayed at his side. 

“You scattered their defences. Credit where its due.” Jinbe said to Blackbeard. 

“You created enough of a panic down here that it was child’s play” 

Crocodile interrupted, a scowl lining his face. “We need to hurry this up. The boss of hell is hot on our tails.”

Luffy moved towards the man. “I’m saving Ace. I’ll find a way.” Tension filled the air as they passed the warlord. Blaze clenched her fist and her hold on her stolen sword tightened. 

“I won’t stop you kid, Nothing impossible in this world. I told you that. Remember Sky Island? Keep watching. I can’t wait for you to see what we have in store. We’re going to put on a show so damn explosive it’ll shake the whole goddamned WORLD! ZEHEEHEHEEHE.”

———-

“HEEEHAW, Keep moving!” Ivakov yelled as they swung down to join the group. 

The minotaur roared. Luffy kept walking. Blaze could tell he was beyond furious. 

A giant spiked club came down on him. “SECOND GEAR! Giant JET PISTOL!”

And that was the end of the Minotaur. 

“Let’s skedaddle!” Bon Clay shouted. 

———

Magellan was mad. His yells were echoing through the prison, bouncing off the stone walls and diving into every corner. Ivankov needed to protect Dragon’s son and to do that she needed to stop the Venom Venom man. 

“Let’s hurry!” Ivankov yelled. “To level 2!” She stayed behind until the last group went through. All that was left were the dying few who didn’t make it, her, and Inazuma. 

“Inazuma!” Iva ordered. He knew what to do. 

“Ready, Great scissors!” He left her alone to face the Warden. She knew it killed him to do it but he wouldn’t disobey. As the stone tower crashed down beyond her she faced the sludge-covered man. 

“This is suicide.”

She smirked. “You’re stupid. HEEHAW!”

———-

“You’re freedom, boys!” Buggy flicked his blue hair as he opened the door to another cell. The prisoners cheered. Buggy could really get use to these accolades.

“Thanks, Captain Buggy!””You’re the best Captain Buggy!” Ahh, music to his ears. Maybe after they got out of here Buggy could take them all under his wings. 

“Grab a weapon and do your part.” He ordered. 

“Here you go, take this.” Mr.3 handed out swords and rifles they’d stolen from the defeated guards and the armory they stublmbed across. 

“Let’s go! To the top!” Buggy led the charge with Mr. 3 by his side. The other man was proving to be quiet useful. Maybe Buggy could make him Vice Captain when they got out of here?

A crash ahead revealed the demon guards. Fuck. They wouldn’t stay down. Buggy swiveld to run in the other direction and crashed into a solid form. He looked up.

“AAAHHH”

“Mr. ZERO SIR!”

Damn! What idiot let that guy out?!

“GUM GUM PISTOL!”

Oh, that fucking idiot. Buggy and Mr. 3 turned around to see all the demon guards defeated. the Straw Hat captain standing in the middle of them with the Warlord Jinbe at his side. Buggy didn’t recognize the other large man with them but he could tell Mr. 3 did. 

A flash of red hair caught Buggy’s attention and he snapped his head to the side. He’d know that shade anywhere. They’d spent too many years sharing a space as cabin boys and guarding each others backs for Buggy ever forget it. The hell was he doing here?

But the closer he looked the more things didn’t make sense. That was a girl. Wielding a sword and red-headed just like Shanks but with two arms and hair trailing all the way down her back. He looked closer and tilted his head. Her eyes were green and she was way shorter than he expected. 

Buggy shivered at the sight. Its was terrifying to see that bastards face and weird as hell for it to be attached to the wrong body. What an awful coincidence. 

“There you are. I’m glad you guys are okay!” Straw Hat drew his attention. His concerned shot through Buggy’s heart. Too many memories of the bastard for him to take. He didn’t have time for this! Fuck.What the fuck. Double fuck!

“Captain buggy, there’s a lot of prisoners and pervets coming up from below” Triple fuck.

“HYDRA.” Magellan growled out as he burst from the ground. Buggy would like it to be known he fucking hated this prison and Straw Hat and all the insanity. He spun on his feet to run but a huge wave of purple sludge barreled down on them all. They wouldn’t make it, 

QUADRUPLE FUUUUUUCCCKKKK-

A crash as it impacted. Not into them but into a huge wax wall. “GO, get out of here! Clear the path for us. I won’t hold this forever.” Mr. 3 shouted. Seas bless him Buggy was making him Vice Captain if it killed him.

“Alright! I’ll lead the charge out of here.” Buggy yelled. “LET’S GO!”

He heard Jinbe cajole straw hat as they went past.

“Let’s go Luffy! I’m tired of saying it!”

“Look go on ahead and steal a ship. We’ll be right behind you.” 

“Fine!”

“Be careful Luffy!”

The mysterious redhead and Jinbe brought up the rear of Buggy’s group. As they came to the front gate Buggy yelled for everyone to push. 

“Get out of my way.” The redhead growled as she pushed forward. Buggy and everyone else found themselves moving without thought. The girl drew her sword and Buggy was inundated with countless memories of Shanks doing the same. 

“Who the hell are you girl?”

She smirked but didn’t respond. Her sword turned black and she jumped in the air. Faster than most could follow she’d slashed through the wood and iron. With a thunderous crash, the doors fell down into pieces, much to the shock of the other prsinoners. 

She landed on the broken wood and flicked her hair. “Piece of cake.”

Buggy was incredibly suspicious and a foreboding feeling started to grow. He was starting to think he knew who this girl was. Few people wielded a sword like that and they’d all learned from the same person. Damn. 

“Get ready for the fight of your lives,” He yelled. 

The sight that awaited them when they stormed out was disheatening. There wasn’t a single ship in sight. As the other prisoners fell to the ground in dispair around them Buggy watched as the redhead started to disappear into mist. 

“Look, you can see the shadows of their ships on the fog.” Jinbe said. “Stand back and let me handle this!” Jinbe picked up a large triangular shaped piece of the door. “If you want to keep moving, hop on.”

“I’ll provide cover.” the redhead said. 

“Thanks, Blaze. Just the three of you?” He asked as Crocodile and the man with the tattoo on his chest jumped on the float. Blaze, apparently that was her name, joined them but kept her eyes closed as the fog around them filled the air. Buggy couldn’t see the shadows of the marine ships anymore. 

“Don’t forget about the hero here!” Buggy added. He’d be safer with them. And like hell he was leaving the girl he was pretty sure was that bastard daughter alone. Fuck what was wrong with him. He shouldn’t care. Goddamnit. 

They set off. Headed to steal a marine ship. Seas, what was his life?

—————-

Blaze spread her fog until nothing could be seen except the white in front of them. Cannons splashed around into the sea but none came close to hitting them. The marines couldn’t aim for something they couldn’t see after all.

She held on as Jinbe sent their makeshift raft flying into the air. They landed with a crash in a group of marines. 

“They’re all devil fruit users! Just throw them into the water!” A bold marine shouted. 

She smirked and coaslesced herself fully on the ship next to them. “Yeah?”

They waited. Nobody moved. 

“So, you gonna toss us in the water or what?” Crocodile drawled. 

“I think you need to learn your own limitations.” Daz Bonez threatened. Blaze had met him once before in Alabasta. She got then feeling he didn’t have any other setting then Threatening. 

The water swirled around the marine ship as Jinbe sent a blast through the ship. The fight was on. 

Blaze kept the area around them covered in Fog so the other ships wouldn’t see their progress. She didn’t even need to cover her sword in Haki and her observation wouldn’t let anyone sneak up on her. It was the same as in the prison. Quantity over quality. She wasn’t a melee fighter but with all the practice she was getting today it seemed like she was pretty good at it. 

Daz Bonez was fighting back to back with Crocodile in the center of the ship. They moved together seamlessly in a way only those who’d fought together often could. She supposed it made sense. They’d known each other for years from what she’d gathered. The mummified remains of men fell to the deck, blood splattered from Daz Bonez slashes and Blaze grimaced. Gross. 

Jinbe was tearing through marines like they were wet tissues. They folded in the face of his fishman karate. He was pissed off and taking it out with his fists. When the other ships tried to turn the cannons on the commotion they were making, aimed blindly at the commotion they were making, he dove into the water. She sensed him taking out several of the other marine ships in the fog. 

Buggy the Clown was taking on a group of them with his Chop Chop fruit. Screaming his head off and shooting small projectiles out of his foot. Blaze was immensely curious how that worked. She’d have to ask him later. It’d be useful to cause such massive explosions from such small objects.

In short order, they’d taken control of the Ship. Jinbe found a baby transponder snail to contact the others while the rest of them readied the ship for sailing the calm belt. Between the four of them, it took no time. All of them had been pirates for years. All of them except for her at least. Blaze didn’t know what she was. Obviously, a criminal now, seeing as she was breaking out of prison. But she didn’t think she wanted to be a spy anymore. Piracy did run in the family though, so maybe that’s where her life was heading?

Crocodile swept his sand over the deck and pushed all the marines into the sea king infested waters. Blaze glanced over the railing to watch them sink. Assholes. 

Screaming echoed through the air as a giant headed Ivankov flew through the hair. In their hair were all the remaining prisoners, Luffy and everyone else. 

They landed on the back of a giant whale shark. Blaze let out a huge sigh of relief as she slumped to the floor. They’d made it out. 

When the group landed on the deck the air filled with jubilant cheering. It didn’t last long. Jinbe took the helm as the remaining marine ships took aim at them. Blaze frowned into the fog. She knew the marines couldn’t see their ship. They were firing blindly. 

The Gates of Justice remained closed in front of them but they wouldn’t be for long. If Bon Clay came through for them they should be able to slip through without anyone on their tail. 

Blaze focused on obscuring their ship from sight while keeping the way in front clear for Jinbe. It was do or die now. 

——-

After they escaped Impel Down and the group descended into celebration and mourning in equal measure., Blaze officially met Buggy on their stolen marine ship as they sailed for Marineford. 

“Who the hell are you? You! With that damn bastards face!” Buggy the clown shouted while pointing at her. He held a mug of beer in his hands and seemed more than slightly tipsy.

“Oh? Buggy is it? Dad’s talked about you.”

“Dad?” A moment of silence. “OH MY GOD. I didn’t want to believe it!”

“Haha, you’re more excitable than I expected.” Blazed grinned wide in a way she knew mirrored her father’s signature grin perfectly. She’d practiced it often as a child.

Buggy looked faint. “There’s two… no three of them?”

“You mean Luffy? Nah, he’s not Shank’s.”

“He might as well be! That red-haired bastard.” Buggy grumbled. “So… how’s the bastard doing nowadays?” He looked to the side and scratched the side of his face in an attempt to look uninterested. Blaze was amused. Once a crewmate, always crewmate it seemed. 

“He’s good. Sailing the new world with his crew.”

“I’d heard he’d lost his sword arm.”

Blaze nodded. “He’s still strong. He lost it saving Luffy, you know? When he was a kid.”

“Huh?!” Buggy exclaimed. “Well, actually, that explains a lot.”

“Shanks loves Luffy. He’d be happy to hear about you helping him and rescuing me.” Blaze graced the pirate with a beautiful, gentle smile. She’d practiced this one too as a child but modeled it after Shakky.

“Ahh, it was no trouble.” Buggy waved it off with a blush staining his cheeks. 

“Really?” She cooed. “Dad’s so lucky to have such a strong and generous friend like you.”

“HAHA That’s right, I am strong! You know I always won in my fights with Shanks back in the day. We grew up together, you know?”

“Wow! Tell me all about it. I’d love to hear more.”

“HAHAH of course. Your father always looked up to me you know? In fact I saved his life more than once……..”

———-

She watched Buggy and Luffy wrestle on deck as she bandaged her wounds while seated next to Jinbe at the helm. 

Apparently, some of the prisoners and Buggy were ignorant of their destination. It certainly explained how carefree they’d been acting. The ringing of a transponder snail soon grabbed everyone’s attention though. 

“Luffy.” the Strwa Hat captain answer. She perked up to listen.

“Look, we know you hijacked the ship. We’ve identified the ringleaders as Straw Hat Luffy and Buggy the Clown.”

Really? Blaze thought. Well, they weren’t exactly wrong. Even is sightly misinformed. She glanced at the other warlords and men on the ship. They were surrounded by some pretty tough guys. 

“We don’t know how we missed it. But we did some digging and unearthed the truth! Buggy is a former member of the Oro Jackson crew and sworn ally of the Yonko, Red Haired Shanks!

The former prisoners jumped in shock. “Captain Buggy! Such an illustrious background!”

“We don’t know how you managed to lay low for so long but we figure we know what drew you out. Shanks must have contacted you to rescue his daughter!”

“What?! Shanks has a daughter!” the group yelled again. Blaze was getting tired of them already. Their mood swings were exhausting.

“NO No, you’ve got it all wrong!” Buggy tried to deny but the marine on the other end of the line ignored him. 

“We’ll make you a deal. Right now, you’re trapped in the whirlpool current and we won’t open the gates at Marineford for you. If you hand over the girl to us then we’ll let you go.”

“The hell?!” Blaze said. Attention shifted to her and she could see several eyes widen in shock. She ignored them and stood to make her way over to the snail. She took the receiver from Luffy. “The hell do you want with me?”

“That is none of your concern, girl”

Blaze felt a grin build on her face. She could read between the lines “Daddy found out you put me in jail, huh?”

“Uuhh…Well-”

“You can say goodbye to your lives because this is your last day on this plane of existence! Get fucked you asshats!” She slammed the receiver back on the snail and erupted into giddy laughter. “HAHAHAAHA!” Shanks was coming for her. Hell yeah. She loved her father. 

“Hey! I wanted to tell them to keep their potatoes peeled!” Luffy objected. 

“Wait we could’ve made a deal!”Buggy squealed. 

“What?” Blaze asked still smiling and ignoring the clown. She couldn’t keep the grin off her face if she tried. 

“You know because I’m coming for Ace?” A pause. “Wait! Shanks is coming?” the captain asked.

“Sure sounds like it.” 

“I can’t see him! I made a promise to only see him when I was King of the Pirates.” 

“Well, fight with your eyes closed then.” she suggested. 

“That’s a stupid idea, Blaze.” He leveled a dry look at her. 

“Is it? I can do it.”

“No way! Prove it!”

The prisoners surrounding them started shouting again. 

“Buggy risked his life to save Red Head Shanks’s daughter?” “What a hero!” “We’ll follow you forever, Captain!” “We’ll follow you until the day we die, Captain Buggy.”

Blaze laughed. Things were looking up. 

——————


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marineford

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was getting too big so I split it

Listening to the story of the betrayal of Ace’s crew from Jinbe was difficult. She knew the story, had heard it from Ace in fact. But knowing the outcome made it worse. Ace was hours away from execution now and if they didn’t make it in time her last memory of Ace would be of him being led out of their cell in chains.

She had faith in Luffy and herself. They were hopelessly outclassed. She understood that better than anyone. After all, she’d made a habit of collecting information and knew what faced them when they landed at Marineford. 

Luffy was oblivious. As unwavering as he was, he didn’t know anything. Hell, he didn’t even know about Haki. 

She glanced at him. She could tell him what lay ahead of them. The legends and formidable opponents they were sure to face. It wouldn’t make a difference though. They still needed to save Ace. 

She kept silent. 

———-

“Pardon us. It’s time to head down.”

Mihawk glanced up at the navy grunt. Useless and weak. He dismissed him. 

Moria spoke up next to him and Mihawk suppressed a grimace. Disgraceful. “What’s the rush? It’s three hours away.”

He stood up. 

“Eager to get your hands dirty, huh?” Doflamingo teased. “I can show you a fast way to get down and dirty if you wanted to blow this joint.” The blond leered.

“No. I have standards.” And the other certainly didn’t meet them.

“HAHAHA, come on Hawk-Eyes. I can show you a good time.”

A slash rent the air and destroyed the couch Doflamingo was sitting on. Mihawk sheathed his sword. Tedious.

“HAHAHAHA so sensitive!” Doflamingo cackled. “Sensitive anywhere else, eh?”

Mihawk withheld another sigh. This whole affair was a pain. He shot a glance at Kuma. There were some lines not meant to be crossed and the government had crossed them with what they did Kuma

“Ahhh please don’t destroy anything else. We need to go.” The useless navy grunt pleaded. 

“Why should I? Don’t rush me.” Boa Hancock sniped. Mihawk looked at the only woman among them. Now there was someone who caught Mihawk’s attention. 

Boa Hancock was different today. She’d hardly spoken at all since arriving and seemed distracted. He found himself curious. As long as he’d known the woman she’d never acted as she was now. She almost looked forlorn as she gazed out the window at the sea.

Jinbe had refused to fight against Whitebeard. He’d heard that Boa Hancock had refused as well. But here she was. He wondered why. He wondered if she knew something they didn’t.

——-

Aokiji desperately wanted a nap. All the preparations and the tense atmosphere were driving him up the wall. He didn’t even agree with the whole affair. 

They were inviting more trouble than was worth it in his opinion. Hundreds would die today and it all could be avoided if only they’d avoided this publicity stunt. 

Ugh. Maybe there was still time for a nap?

“Aokiji, Sir!” The door snapped open. “Fleet Admiral Sengoku is calling an emergency meeting!”

“Is that so.” 

“Yes sir!”

He grunted. “Very well. I’m on my way.” What a drag. Trouble already. 

Aokiji’s feet dragged the ground as he walked the familiar path to Sengoku’s office. The others were already there. Vice-Admiral Garp was there as well. He’d heard Sengoku wasn’t letting the man out of sight. 

He threw himself down on the couch. 

“I’ve received a report from Impel Down! 240 prisoners have escaped and are allegedly on their way to the Marineford.” Sengoku didn’t waste a second getting down to business.

Akainu growled. “Let them try.” Aokiji rolled his eyes. That man needed to relax. 

“I doubt they make it. Jinbe, Crocodile, and Straw Hat Luffy are leading the group. Blackbeard has also defected. Kill him on sight if he shows up.” Sengoku paused. “But that’s not the worst of it.”

“Oh?” Kizaru asked. Next to him on the couch, Aokiji heard Garp let out a chuckle. Sengoku shot him a withering glare. 

“It seems when Blackbeard released Ace and his partner into our custody, the intake officers failed to do their due diligence and have invited the wrath of yet another Yonko on our heads.”

Aokiji sat up. “Another Yonko? Who?”

“Red-Haired Shanks. He’s joining forces with Whitebeard for the assault.” 

Fuck, thousands were going to die. Garp continued munching on his crackers at his side. He seemed to be doing it out of pure spite if Aokiji could guess based on the tight grip he had on the arms of the couch. 

“Why? They hate each other.” Akainu asked, incensed as always. Aokiji frequently wondered if the other’s Devil Fruit had anything to do with his hotheaded attitude. 

“Seems he has a kid. And we imprisoned her at Impel Down. We’d planned to take her and make a peace offering to him. But now she's on the ship of prisoners sailing in the whirlpool current and Shanks is mad as hell. You’ll need to be at your best if he shows up!”

Aokiji let out a groan. Seas, they were really asking for it. Could it get any worse?

——

Ace’s thoughts were on his life as he climbed the stairs to his death. His journey so far.

‘There’s only one way to live life and that’s without any regrets!’

‘Someday, we’ll head out to see and live the way we want to live. Freer than anyone else.’

When’d he’d set off from Dawn Island Makino, Luffy, Dandan, and the rest of the bandits had all seen him off. He’d been determined to escape the legacy of his father. Even when it meant leaving behind his only remaining family. 

The spade pirates had come together soon after. Ace helping each of them out of tough situations and them swearing loyalty. He hadn’t wanted servants though. He’d wanted friends. Family. 

They rushed through the first half of the grand line. Getting into and out of trouble and never letting anyone hold them back

He’d met Blaze and Rayleigh then. Blaze was a crazy and wild girl, stronger than she had any right to be. They became fast friends despite his best efforts. Through her, he met Rayleigh.

Rayleigh. The first man he’d who’d been friends with his father. He didn’t really believe him at first until the old man said he’d recognized him on sight. Not from Roger, but his mother. Rayleigh was the first person who ever told him how much he resembled Portgas D. Rouge. 

He’d sailed away from Sabaody with a new perspective. Still hating his lineage but thoughtful. 

He’d hunted down Shanks then. Surprised as hell that such a man was Blaze’s father but it wasn’t such shocking news the more he talked to the man. The two redheads were very similar and not just in looks. 

Ace started the hunt for Whitebeard after leaving that cold cave. He led the Spade Pirates right to their doom. Fighting Jinbe for five days was the hardest fight of his life until that point. 

God, he was so angry and exhausted afterward. Pop’s arrival and the beatdown that followed only fed the flames. He’d quickly figured out he was outclassed. He’d tried to save his crew but it was all for naught. 

‘I won’t kill you. Run wild with us and our flag will be yours. And I will call you my son.’

Ace’s heart hurt when he thought about his family. Luffy had given his life meaning but traveling with his family made him want to live.

Marco. ‘The world hates us. I know Pops is just a word. Bu this is our family. The only one most of us have.’

The 2nd division. ‘Come on Ace! We want you to lead us.’

Telling Pops about his cursed blood. ‘I don’t care where the hell you came from. We’re all children of the sea.’ 

Thatch. God Thatch was the best of them. Kind and welcoming, so trusting it got him killed. Ace couldn’t be mad at him, they’d all trusted the traitor. 

Teach. The memory of that bastard’s grin when Ace confronted him on Banaro island haunted his sleep. He didn’t care at all about the crew he’d betrayed. Ace couldn’t even imagine that sort of callousness. 

The sight of Thatch’s bloody corpse would never be forgotten by Ace or anyone else who’d seen the gruesome sight. 

‘He’s coming for you.’ Hancock’s words. He hadn’t wanted to believe it. Blaze and Jinbe were both in chains next to him but he’d still hoped it wasn’t true. Ace would rather die than be the reason his brother lost his life. 

It was a fruitless hope. He knew Luffy was still in the prison when he was led out to the escort ships. Every step he took away from that hell was torture. He was leaving his brother, Jinbe, and Blaze behind.

He was the reason Jinbe and Blaze were locked away. He was the reason Luffy was in Impel Down. He was the reason Pops was going to war. God.

He’d never hated himself more. He deserved to die. There wasn’t anywhere on the sea that would be safe from him and his cursed blood. It would be better for everyone if he just disappeared.

——-

“I can see it!” Luffy yelled excitedly as they approached the Gates of Justice.

“It should have been faster! The wind wasn’t on our side!” Jinbe called back. 

They sailed through unobstructed. It shouldn’t have been that easy. Jinbe grimaced. Something was happening. 

——

Buggy was screaming into the air. “Time for this captain to conquer the world! Who’s the next king of the pirates, men?”

“You are Captain Buggy!” “SO BRAVE” “That’s Buggy for you! Strong even in the face of war!” The prisoners were chanted Buggy’s name and Blaze really couldn’t help herself.

“Oh? You want to defeat daddy for the title?” She watched as the clown froze. She never called Shanks that but the look on the clown’s face was priceless.

“Ehehe let’s not go that far.” He looked constipated. She wondered how far she could push him. 

“I can help! I have his transponder snail number memorized.” She hoped in pace innocently. “I’ll go call him and ask him to meet us so you can have a dual. Daddy will definitely show up fast. He’s never told me no.”

“AAH NO! DON’T DO THAT.” Buggy was turning an interesting shade of purple as he frantically waves his hand back and forth. He started to float in the air. She glanced down. Hmm, his feet were still on the deck. It was a strange sight. 

“Nonsense! It's the least I could do for my savior.” Blaze started walking away. “I saw a snail over there.”

“STOP NO PLEASE!”

Was she a bad person for enjoying this so much?   
——

Shakky watched them bring out Ace on the transponder sail from Sabaody. They forced him to kneel and connected his chains to the platform. Were they really planning to make him kneel for three hours? He was covered in wounds and looked like death warmed over.

Seas, she hoped Blaze was in better shape. 

The woman was smoking like a chimney. Everything would be changing soon. War was upon them. This time tomorrow, the world would be forever changed. 

Sengoku’s speech turned the crowd around her into a frothing mess. She didn’t move. She still remembered all the babies and pregnant women killed more than twenty years ago. The navy had executed anyone even remotely connected to Roger.

Even innocent women who’d never met him. It’d been enough to make her sick.

She’d had contacts on Baterilla. The stories were enough to give her nightmares.

The story Sengoku spun was inflammatory. Meant to incense the masses and justify the navy’s actions. Shakky scoffed. 

Disgusting pigs.

It was a sensationalist spectacle and nothing more. The old men in charge might convince themselves otherwise but as far as Shakky was concerned it was one big dick-measuring contest. 

Blaze had just had the unfortunate luck to be caught in the middle of it all. 

——

Rayleigh wanted to retire years ago. In fact, if they’d removed his bounty posters then he would have. Shakky wanted him to spend more time with her, taking her to see the world and how it had changed since they sailed the seas in their youth.

Raising Blaze had been something quite different for the two of them. Shakky had always wanted children but the sword she took to the gut when she was a pirate had ended that dream. Rayleigh hadn’t minded either way. He had a family. 

Raising Shanks and Buggy on the Oro Jackson had been different. They’d been older when they came int Roger and Rayleigh’s care for one. And it had been before the Great Age of Piracy they lived in now. Neither of them had parents wanted by the world government either. 

It’d been simpler times. No less crazy and full of adventure. But the battle lines were much less distinct.

Now they lived in a world with revolutionaries trying to destroy the world government, marines trying to protect it, and pirates running around causing as much chaos as they possibly could. 

It kept things interesting. 

Rayleigh liked to consider himself one of the smartest guys around. But the terror that had gripped his heart when Shakky told him that Blaze and Ace had been imprisoned in Impel Down took even him by surprise.

He loved Blaze and had watched her grow for nearly ten years now but it wasn’t until his wife mentioned contacting Blaze’s father for help that Rayleigh realized the depth of his affection for the girl. 

Blaze was as much his daughter as she was Shakky’s and Shanks. 

He’d been there to guide her, teach her, comfort her, and raise her up strong. He bandaged her wounds from training and showed her nearly all his tricks.

She was probably the only person in the world who he’d passed on everything he knew. She wasn’t as strong as him yet but in a few years, he had no doubt she would be. 

If she reached his age, she’d surely surpass him. She was strong and crafty. It wasn’t her fate to burn out so soon.

So now here he was on a pirate ship once again sailing to war with Shanks and his crew, the red-haired brat all grown up and a legend in his own right, to rescue their daughter. 

Seas he was too old for this. 

The stirring of excitement in his gut at the thought of fighting strong opponents again said otherwise. 

——

Garp was having the worst day. His grandson was on the execution block and his other grandson was planning to get in between a war. The stupid boys!

‘You’re an honorable man, Garp. Look after my child. Keep him safe for me. Please Garp ’ Roger’s words from so many years ago kept echoing through his head. 

‘Our son. Our little boy’ He remembered Rouge’s tears as she died in that hospital in the south blue. 

Damnit! There wasn’t anything he could do. Ace was a pirate! He’d protected the kid and done his best to steer him straight. He chose his fate.

‘the navy would sooner chop off Ace and Luffy’s head than let them live!’ the words of red-haired brat sharing Ace cell brought a frown to his grizzled face. 

He kept seeing Ace as a baby. Innocent, gummy little grin wide as Garp played with him. He’d been tiny in his hands. 

He and Luffy had always been so small compared to Garp. 

As he stood at the base of the execution tower, Garp clenched his fist. He’d made his decision. He would not be swayed by sentiment.

——-

As the Gates of Justice groaned open, Blaze stood and straightened her shoulders. 

Across the deck, Iva was trying to comfort Luffy about his dad not letting Ace die. Confused, she wandered over and was just in time to hear Luffy explain his complicated family tree and release Ace’s deep dark secret to all 240 people on board. 

She knocked him over the head. “That’s supposed to be a secret, dumbass!”

“Ow! I forgot. Damnit why does it always hurt when you hit me!”

“It’s Haki, you idiot!”

“Oh right. I’ve heard of that. " Luffy looked contemplative. It was an odd look for the boy. “What is it again?”

Blaze groaned. Maybe she was wrong to put her faith in the rubber idiot. 

——-

When the Moby Dick surfaced in the middle of the Bay of Marineford, Marco leisurely took in the view. Behind him were fourteen division commanders and 43 sworn allies from the New World. 

Nobody was taking this insult from the Navy lying down. 

“Sengoku,” Pops greeted from across the bay, his voice echoing to every ear. “It’s been a long time. We’ve got plenty to talk about. Like you not killing my son.”

Marco could see Ace on the executioner’s platform from where he stood on the Deck. And as Pops asked him to sit tight, his brother’s cry echoed out. Marco’s heart clenched. 

“FATHER!”

Whitebeard didn’t waste another second. His power crackled out of him and turned the oceans against the Navy. The world trembled before them. 

“Why didn’t you just give up on me! It was my own damn fault!” Ace’s shouting was sending a searing pang through Marco. The stupid hot head. Fucking idiot. He never did realize how much he meant to other people. To Pops. To Marco. Dumbasss.

“That’s a lie!”

“It’s not. I’m your captain and I gave the order. Isn’t that right Marco?”

“Sure is, Pops. Teach committed the worst crime anyone on the oceans could. Killing a crewmate”

“Exactly. If anyone lays a finger on Ace. You’ll have to fight me!”

Nobody moved. The rushing of the tide as it pulled out of the bay was all that could be heard. 

It didn’t take long for the water to rush back in the form of a giant wave. 

The tsunami built, higher and higher. Marco could hear the marines panicking. Pops was relentless. His power was legendary. 

Just as the wave crested, Marco saw Aokiji jump from his seat and strike. Ice burst out of either side of his form and impacted the sea, freezing it in place. The waves, ground, and sea all froze solid instantly. 

Marco smirked. Great. Solid ground for them to fight on. Blue flames flickered to life around his finger. It was time to go to war.

——

The tide started to turn against them and Jinbe gripped the wheel tighter. It was starting. Only one man had the power to do this. Luffy was demanding to go faster at his side. Jinbe ignored him. In only a few moments, the tide turned back and they were rushing forward. 

A giant wave started to bear down on them. 

“Hey what the hell! Stupid wave. I won’t let it beat me.”

“Bring in the sails! We’ll ride it.” Jinbe ordered. His words sent several of the prisoners into hysterics. 

Crocodile judged the panicking fools from his perch on the railing. Jinbe couldn’t help but agreed. Would the idiots rather capsize?

The ascent was rough and terrifying until it suddenly stopped. They all jerked at the halted momentum. Jinbe released his tight grip on the helm. 

The rough sea had turned to still ice. They were stuck high in the sky atop a frozen wave. Jinbe looked down and could see the battleground. The fighting had begun.

“If we work together, I know we can do it!” Luffy was shouting as he explained his insane plan. 

The Den Den Mushi started spouting out codes and orders. Jinbe wasn’t familiar with them but one line caught his ears, “We will move the schedule forward and execute Ace immediately!”

“There no time to waste!”

——

Mihawk cut a swath through the mass of fighters on the frozen battlefield. Straight towards Whitebeards. The man didn’t flinch. 

For good reason, Mihawk soon found, as another man took the slash head-on and deflected it into the sky. As the air cleared, the swordsman recognized him as Diamond Jozu. 

Hmm. He sheathed his sword. 

The fighting continued below him. Diamond Jozu started to carve a hole in the ice. Mihawk tilted his head to watch as the giant iceberg was flung straight towards one of the admirals. 

He supposed he could have split the ice into pieces with his sword. Why bother though? He rather thought he’d like to see the fools crushed to death.

———

Whitebeard watched as Marco deflected an attack from Admiral Kizaru and engaged the man in an impressive show. 

“The Kings off limits! You’ll have to go through me first.” His first division commander punctuated the words with a rough kick that sent the admiral flying. 

The Yonko was proud of his son. Marco had come such a long way from the runt he’d been when the captain had found him. As one of his oldest sons, the phoenix would always have a special place in his heart. 

Not that he had favorites, of course. A father couldn’t have favorites. 

He glanced back at the execution tower. Although if he did, Ace would probably be one of them. 

Jozu was trying to take out the giant brigade further along the battlefield. There was another son he was proud of. The third division commander had filled out well over the years. Whitebeard still remembered the chubby round face of the teenager he’d been well over twenty years ago.

Ah, how time flies. He’d seen a lot during his time. 

“GREAT ERUPTION.” Magma flew to met Jozu’s Iceberg and covered the entire battlefield with steam. 

He casually impaled a molten mass headed his way on his naginata and flung it away. 

“I think I’ll have you light the candles at my next birthday party.”

Akainu growled. “I’d rather light the fire on your funeral pyre.”

A thunderous growl echoed through the air and Whitebeard briefly closed his eyes in defeat. Oars Jr had arrived. 

Fruitlessly, he tried to stop him. “Little Oars! You don’t know what you’re up against!”

“BROTHER ACE IS MY FRIEND. I WILL SAVE HIM”

“Fine.” He grunter. Stubborn son. There was no stopping him “Men, cover Oars JR.”

“RIGHT, POPS! LES BREAK DOWN THE ARTILLERY DEFENSE.”

Whitebeard hated this war. He wasn’t letting himself think about the men already lying motionless on the battlefield. They couldn’t back down though. The Navy had asked for this war. The insult was too grave to let stand. The moment they executed Ace for the blood in his veins was the moment no child of a criminal was ever safe again. 

Shanks knew that as well as he did. The damned red-haired bastard was fighting this for his old captain and for his daughter. Whitebeard thought he understood the man a bit better now he knew the secret. 

He was still a brat though. A late brat at that. 

——-

“Slave Arrow. ” Hancock fired into the crowd as cannonballs shot towards her. She didn’t want to get involved. None of the Warlords wanted to help the Navy. The bloodthirsty idiots were only here to fight. 

She jumped into the rabble and men crumbled to stone beneath her blows. Her legs flowed seamlessly from kick to kick and she didn’t hesitate to aim for killing blows. They landed without fail. 

“You Psycho! Why are you attacking marines?” A navy thug shouted at her while clutching a cracking stone shoulder. 

“I agreed to aid you. I said nothing about collateral damage. All men are equally worthless. Prepare yourselves.”

She wondered how Luffy was doing. 

The chaos around her was distasteful. She missed her sisters. 

At the edge of her vision, a huge beast of a giant took out the Navy’s Giant Unit and the artillery. He was causing a lot of damage trying to reach the execution platform.

She watched as the giant approached. Near her, Kuma was preparing an attack. She clenched her fist as he released it. There was nothing she could do.

It impacted with the force of a thousand bombs. Men were blown away in every direction and she could hear the cries of Ace begging for them to stop. Even her cold heart twinged at hearing the desperation in his voice.

As the giant fell he aimed a fist at Doflamingo.It was a mistake. The last he would ever make. The warlord cut off his foot.

Ace’s screams rang in the air as his friend crawled toward him but Moria’s shadow pierced the giant through the heart before he went far. Hancock forced herself to watch. She needed to remind herself of the cruelty of this world. 

By some miracle, the giant was still moving. desperately reaching for Ace in his last moments. “I’M HERE, ACE. MY FRIEND.”

She didn’t look away. This is why she hated men. Ruthless, cruel bastards. 

As the giant crumbled and stopped moving she retreated. She was done with this farce. 

—

Blaze gripped onto the railing as their stolen ship plunged from the air. When everyone fell off and towards the ground, she let go. Blaze let the mist take her. From her vantage point, she could see the entire battlefield. 

It was a mess. Dead pirates and marines littered the ground. Craters stained with blood and gore were everywhere. There was several giants stew about, dead or dying. Including one laid out that gave her pause. She followed the line of his body. The giant’s motionless hand was pointing directly at Ace.

At the top of the execution stand, Garp and Sengoku were flanking her friend. Ace looked awful. Tears and snot stained his face. He kneeled with his hands chained behind him and she knew he was in pain. 

As their stolen ship crashed into the bay several of the devil fruit users sunk beneath the water. Jinbe jumped in to save them.

She reformed herself next to Luffy where he was laid out in the broken deck and shook him awake. “Get up! We don’t have time for this!”

Luffy shot up with a gasp. “Save Ace! We’ve got to save Ace. Where is he?

“Follow me. I saw him on the way down.”

They started to run and didn’t stop until Luffy got his first glimpse of his brother. His expression was heartbreaking until it transformed into a determined grin. He sucked in a huge breath of air.

“AAACCCCCCCEEEEEE! I’M HERE TO SAVE YOU!”

——-

Crocodile tried to make a move on Whitebeard and Luffy knocked him away with a vicious blow. Blaze surrounded the former warlord with her mist until he could barely lift his arms. His sand was a bad match for her Fog Fog fruit. 

Whitebeard turned to look at Luffy. “Hey kid, that hat looks just like the hat Red Hair used to wear” The old man eyed her briefly but focused on Luffy.

“That’s right. How do you know Shanks?”

The giant of a man ignored the question. 

“You came here to rescue your big brother? Do you have any idea what you’re up against. A squirt like you will get slaughtered.” Contempt layered his words. It pissed Luffy off

“SHUT UP! You don’t even know me! I know what you’re up to. You want to be the king huh? First, you got to go through me! GOT IT??! Luffy yelled as he challenged the man. 

Everyone froze. 

Blaze wondered if Luffy had ever seen Whitebeard’s bounty poster and if knowing the man had a bounty over five billion beri would change his approach. 

Knowing Luffy, it wouldn’t matter at all. Blaze hadn’t known the other long but between Ace’s stories and following him out of hell, she felt she had a good grasp on him. 

“What a cheeky little punk. Don’t come crying to me if you get a few boo-boos spoiled brat!” Whitebeard thundered back.

“Yeah right! I’m not old like you! I’m going to rescue Ace.” Luffy looked the old captain dead in the eyes, not backing down. It was a promise.

Whitebeard glared down at Luffy. It was a battle of wills. But Luffy was soon distracted, impatient as he was to get going. “Oh yeah, there’s something you should know.”

“What, kid?” He growled out. Blaze felt her mind start to race as the two conversed. 

By the end of the conversation they were on equal footing and everyone could see it. Maybe not in terms of strength but respect. They were both united in their determination to save Ace. Whitebeard was willing to let Luffy charge in. Blaze would have liked to see the old man try and stop him. 

Luffy leaped into the fray without another word. Blaze was left next to a fuming Crocodile. “Nobody will respect you if take out Whitebeard now. With help from the navy of all people.” She started to pull herself out of his sand. 

“Shut it Jailbait.” He growled and swiped at her with his sand. She let it phase through her harmlessly. 

“They’ll respect you if take out all those vice admirals though.”

“Ugh, Fine.” He swarmed off. Blaze made to follow Luffy but Whitebeard stopped her. 

“You’re Red Hairs brat?” She nodded. It was obvious to anyone who knew the other Yonko after all. 

“You’ve caused quite a bit of troubling getting captured like that.” The old man had a gravely and low voice. It was all the more noticeable when he was speaking directly to her. 

“So what! If I hadn’t been with Ace he’d have been all alone at Impel Down. I don’t regret it a bit.”

She took off after Luffy, there wasn’t a moment to lose. 

——-

Mihawk refused to fight Shanks. The minute he’d sighted the red-haired girl on the battlefield, he’d retreated. 

“Hawk Eyes! Where are you going?” Some nameless officer yelled. 

“I agreed to fight Whitebeard. No one else. Not Shanks.”

“Shanks? What does Red Hair have to do with anything?”

“You fool. Don’t you see that girl next to Whitebeard? I’m leaving.”

“I’m leaving as well. This is beyond our agreement. I’m finished with this meaningless farce.” Boa Hancock swept away from the battlefield to follow him. 

“Oh?” Mihawk asked. “I wondered what you were doing here in the first place.”

“None of your concern.” She glared coldly at him, her snake coiled around her shoulders. 

“Hm. I seem to recall you arriving on a navy battleship.”

Boa Hancock scowled. It settled on her delicate features naturally. She’d been a spoiled brat as long as Mihawk had known her. “What of it?”

“Have you given thought to how you are getting off the island?”

She glanced at him. “You’d love to get me back to my island, wouldn’t you?” She batted her eyes. 

“No.”

She pouted. “So cold, Mihawk. I’m surprised you’re leaving, all those swordmen down there for you to test your strength against. ”

Mihawk stopped. She had a point. 

“And you? No interest in the fighting?”

“No,” Hancock refused. “I’m defecting.”

Mihawk looked at her curiously. “Why are you telling me this?”

She laughed. “What are you going to do? Stop me?”

Mihawk thought about it. It would be a good fight. The tales of the Pirate Empress’ strength were legendary. His hand twitched. 

“Whatever. I’ve got places to be. See you around. Or not.” She ran off in the direction of the tower. 

Mihawk watched her go. Now that he was thinking about it, he did want to fight her. 

——

As the Red Force crested over the horizon, Shanks observed the giant frozen waves surrounding their destination. The battle had already started. 

He shot a glance at Rayleigh, picking up the man delayed them but he was happy to have the former Vice-Captain by his side.

“Who would have thought all those years ago when you dropped that tiny thing off at the bar we’d been sailing into war to retrieve her?” Rayleigh chucked. He was smoking. Shanks almost never saw him smoking, unlike his wife who smoked like a chimney. It was yet another sign that he was just as worried as the redhead. 

“She’s always had a wild spirit. I knew that when I met her. I had to drag her out of nature and back to civilization, after all.” The memories of meeting his daughter and getting to know her while they sailed together all those years ago would always be treasured in his heart.

Rayleigh chuckled. “She tries to hide it but it peaks through. She’s untamable. I still remember when she came home at 14 with that great dragon covering her back. You’re lucky you weren’t there to try and reign her in during her teens.”

“I wish I had been.” Shanks said. “You’re more of a father to her than I ever was. I’m just the guy that shows up every year or so to take her on vacations.”

“Nonsense! That girl loves you to death. She understands. You’d have never been happy stationery and the seas you sail in are too dangerous for a child. We all understand.”

“Still… I think about it a lot. What could have been.”

“Who knows? It’s not like you to be so retrospective, Shanks.”

“Ah, you’re right. She’s nearly grown now. Plenty of time to get to know each other still! No use pouting now. Alright.” Shanks straightened and turned. “MEN! PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR WAR.”

——-

Blaze stuck to Luffy’s side like glue. Flanking him and protecting his back. 

They were blown away from each other by Iva’s Death Wink when the revolutionary tried to protect them from Kizaru’s lasers. Luckily, they’d been thrown in the same direction. 

A body came spinning at them in an attack and some weirdo with heart glasses tried to stop them. Blaze jumped in front of Luffy and cut them down ruthlessly. “Don’t stop for anything, Luffy!” 

Black Cage Hina was next. Trying to entrap them with her devil fruit, iron bars shot out of her body. Blaze aimed a slash at the woman with her sword to distract her while Luffy jumped over and kept running. Her sword cut a gash across Hina’s chest. The woman hissed as blood coated her white coat and her men shouted in concern for her. Blaze left them to it and ran to catch up with Luffy. 

She passed several defeated marines before catching up. He was surrounded by a group of tough-looking men. She sent her mist out until the entire area around them was covered in heavy white fog and closed her eyes. Expanding her senses, she let her sword fly. They couldn’t fight what they couldn’t see after all. 

“Luffy! GO!” 

“RIGHT! THANKS, BLAZE!”

He shot forward. She followed moments later, her fog moving with her to cover her movements. Behind her, a trail of blood and bodies littered the ice. 

More marines came for them but Luffy didn’t stop running forward. She thickened her mist and moved between enemies relentlessly. All those years of hiding and sneaking around were really starting to pay off. She’d never considered herself an assassin but as bodies continued to fall around her, Blaze supposed she’d make a frightfully good one. 

When she saw the zombies she faltered. Gross. She didn’t want to fight zombies. 

Shouting drew her attention but she didn’t let her sword slow. It was Ace. Telling Luffy to stay away, that he didn’t want him there, he didn’t need him. 

Idiot. She thought. Anyone could hear the desperation in his voice and know he was lying. 

“ACE! YOU’RE MY BROTHER!”

A pillar of water splashed down on the zombies and Blaze breathed a sigh of relief. Thank fuck she wouldn’t have to desecrate her sword. She liked the stolen blade. 

Jinbe stood tall on Luffy’s left. Thank the seas the warlord was on their side.

A giant took an iron club to Luffy as Sengoku started to shout into the receiver that was amplifying his voice across the battlefield. 

“Men! Don’t underestimate him. He was raised with Fire Fist Ace as his stepbrother and he is the biological son of Dragon the revolutionary!”

Damn, the old guy was spilling all sorts of secrets today. She felt the shock rippling through the crowd. She didn’t stop her movements. Distracted enemies were easy targets. Her fog slowly advanced closer to the rubble of the wall the fallen giant laid on. His wild mane of red hair stood out like a beacon. She wondered who he was. 

Behind her, Luffy inflated his fist into a massive club and took the marine giant out with one blow.

Soon enough, they found themselves surrounded by Vice Admirals and marines. She reformed next to Luffy. It was too dangerous to stay dispersed like that in this large of a group. Any one of them could use a Haki coated hand to rip her out of the air. She’d learned her lesson on that from Pell when she was still a child. 

——

“That’s Straw Hat!” Tashigi’s voice grabbed his attention. 

Smoker turned. “Get down, Tashigi.” He raced towards the boy and swung his jitte towards his face. A form stepped in front of the boy and their sword met his weapon with a resounding crash. “Get out of the way!”

“AH! Smoky!” 

“Fat Chance.” The redhead woman growled. “Luffy, go! 

Straw Hat took off. Smoker drew back to give chase when the woman’s sword came down in a slash across his face. As it split his skin open from his forehead, across his eye, and to the side of his face Smoker turned his full attention to the redhead. 

“Haki, huh?” He lunged at her with his Jitte. The tip of it impacted her raised arm and she flinched. 

“Seastone, is it?”

Smoker didn’t answer. He took in his opponent. Red hair, green eyes, short, and a single sword at her side. She’d been with Fire Fist in Alabasta. 

“You’ll have to defeat me to get to Luffy, Smoky.”

“With pleasure.” He lunged for her again. She ducked under a swing and aimed a punch at his gut. He couldn’t dodge, unpracticed as he was in fighting Haki users. He took the hit, wanting to use it as an opportunity to grab her but the force of it threw him back. 

“You’re stronger than you look.” He grunted and dissolved into smoke. He reformed standing next to her aiming a blow for her face. She didn’t waste a single second in dodging. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tashigi get thrown by Straw Hat as he raced further and further away. 

Smoker lashed out with his Jitte again. It’d hurt her before. He assumed she had some type of Devil Fruit power. He didn’t know why she wasn’t using it. She caught the blow with her sword and twisted until his weapon was ripped out of the hand and thrown into the distance. He heard it clang to the ground. 

Damn. She was strong. What the hell. Who was this chick?

Wait…something wasn’t right. He glanced around. He couldn’t see anything. A white cloud obscured his sight. Smoker clenched his fist. So that’s how it was. 

A faint whistle through the air was all the warning he got. He ducked. He was weaponless and couldn’t see. Damnit. One struck with that sword and he could be dead. 

“Show yourself, Coward!” He accused and smoke curled around his fist. He threw a punch. The devastating blow flew through the mist harmlessly. 

“Coward?” Her voice laughed. “Is that supposed to goad me on? I’m not a stupid man like you, you know.” Blows started to rain down on him he dodged most but the ones that hit landed hard. 

Fuck. Smoker turned his entire body to smoke and that’s when he realized. She wasn’t moving through the fog. She was the fog. She was a logia like him.

They wrapped around each other, smoke and fog. It was a desperate struggle. The air whipped up around them until they were twirling up into the sky a deadly dance. People watching probably couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. 

Too late, Smoker realized it was a trap. Shit. He’d been played. He’d forgotten about her Haki. 

An iron hand clamped down on his shoulder and ripped him from the smoke. Smoker’s last thought before she aimed a backend fist at his temples was that he really needed to learn how to use Haki. Fuck.

——

Hancock raced toward where Luffy stood on the battlefield. If her heart wasn’t crying out for him she would have been long gone. She hardly recognized herself anymore. The difference a few days of being in love made was astounding. 

But something was wrong. A great shockwave rent the battlefield and she sensed Luffy go flying. 

Damnit. That was Hawk Eyes. She thought he’d left? Had he tricked her?

She came to where Luffy was embedded in the wall and began to crush the stone with her fists until he was free. “Oh, Luffy! Are you okay?”

“Hancock? What are you doing here?”

“I have something for you. It’s the key to Ace’s cuffs. Get them off and he can join the fight.”

“Woah! Really. Thanks so much, Hancock!” He grabbed her hand in a rough hold and took the key. She felt her cheek flush. 

“This is what you were up to, Boa Hancock.” She scowled. The accursed man was interrupting her moment with her sweetheart. 

“Go, Luffy. I’ll handle this.” She stood. She noticed Jinbe close at hand and he inclined his head in respect. Well, at least some men weren’t wastes of the air they breathed. 

“Be careful, he’s really strong.” His concern warmed her cold heart. Luffy really was one of a kind. Her love for him blazed brightly in her heart. 

“I know,” she turned her back on the two to confront Mihawk. “I thought you’d left this war.”

“I was going to. But you were right. I do want to fight.”

Luffy spirited out from behind her to his brother. She didn’t watch him go, as much as she wanted to. Mihawk drew his sword to stop him and she intercepted with a Haki coated kick. “Perfume Femur!”

“Stay back you fool. You will not hurt Luffy.”

“Is that so.” He turned to her. “How do you know the boy?”

“That’s of no concern to you.”

“You’ll throw away your position for him?”

“I’ll do whatever I like. And you will allow it. Because… I’m beautiful!” She attacked. He was a fool for underestimating her. 

She was Boa Hancock, an Empress and a Warlord. People feared her far and wide and she was going to put this cocky man in his place. She released the tight reign she kept on her conquerors Haki. 

She was going to enjoy this. 

——-

Blaze stood on top of Smoker with her feet pressed into his abs and watched the sky in awe.

Dracule Mihawk had sliced the top half of a wave off and icebergs were now falling from the sky. Any smugness she’d gained from defeating Smoker evaporated at the display of power. 

She looked in the direction and felt her breath catch. Boa Hancock was engaged in a deadly duel with Dracule Mihawk. Their blows flowed gracefully and powerfully between them. Blaze was intoxicated with the sight and she wasn’t the only one. 

What powerful and enchanting people. Wow. She still had a long way to go before she was at that level. 

She ripped her gaze away. Right. Focus. She’d seen a few transponder snails recording the war. Maybe she could find the footage later and watch it?

She felt her eyes try to drift towards them again and snapped them back. Smoker twitched under her feet. Right.

Where was Luffy?

There! Running towards to execution tower She pushed off and felt Smoker grunt. She looked down. Nope. Still out cold.

Oh well.

She started to run towards Luffy again. Anyone who tried to stop her met a swift end. 

Blaze chanced a glance at Ace and nearly faltered in her steps. Two men were holding blades to his neck. Seems they weren’t lying about pushing up the execution. Sand surged out of nowhere and overtook the executioners. Damn, she owed Crocodile one.

Several explosions sounded behind her but Blaze didn’t stop running. They were running out of time. 

——-

“I wondered when I’d get a chance to see the government’s secret weapons in action.” Whitebeard mused. Marco’s knees bent as he prepared to take off to fight the Pacifitas. 

“Hold it, son.” Whitebeard ordered. Marco looked at him confused.

“Pops?” 

“Can’t you feel his approach?”

Marco strained his senses and felt his shoulders slump when he noticed it. Fuck that guy had impeccable timing.

Pop’s glanced down at him. “What’s with that reaction? You don’t think we can handle it ourselves?”

“Ah, of course not, Pops! It’s just nice to have help. Right?”

“Hm.” Whitebeard grunted. “I suppose. Showy brat.”

Marco watched as the Red Force slowly revealed itself from out of the fog. It looked like a bloody demon ship. He had to give the other captain credit, he sure knew how to make an entrance. 

Nobody else had noticed their arrival yet but that wouldn’t last. The heavy presence of Shanks Haki started to coat the area. The newly arrived navy ships that had tried to block in the bay started to explode, one by one. 

Marco recognized the work of the Red-Haired pirate’s sniper. 

Slowly, shouts started to echo around the ice. “Is that another Yonko?” “Red-haired Shanks?” “What the hell is that monster doing here?” “Oh fuck, we’re screwed!’

A great slash from behind took care of ten Pacifistas at once. The blow resonated through the battlefield as the Red Force came to a stop next to the Moby Dick. They’d made it through the blockade effortlessly. Everyone knew they were here now.

Marco glanced over and did a double-take. Was that the Dark King Rayleigh? The hell was he doing here? Marco glanced at Ace again. Oh right. Ace was the son of the pirate king. Maybe the old guy felt responsible? 

Whatever. He wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth

Marco heard Sengoku order the video feeds to be cut immediately and smirked. It was too late for that.

———

Blaze had almost caught up to Luffy when he went flying past her from a kick from Kizaru. She cursed. The opposition was endless it seemed. 

Before she could get disheartened, ten whitebeard commanders joined Luffy as he charged ahead once again. She didn’t know how the hell Luffy had convinced Whitebeard to support his charge and she’d been there for the conversations. 

She thanked their lucky stars for the boy’s charisma though. 

A familiar feeling started to flicker on the edge of her sense. Was that….?

She started to grin, wild and untamed. She’d know that person anywhere. Her father had arrived. 

——-

Whitebeard cursed as he was stabbed through the chest by his son. Damn Sengoku. He’d really twisted Squard’s head around. He should know better than to listen to the damn Navy. 

He glanced over at the Battlefield. No one was paying them any attention distracted as there were with the arrival of a second Yonko. 

“You’re a damn fool! Why trust the navy and not Pops?” Marco grabbed the fool by his shirt, shaking him. 

“You don’t realize what you’ve done, my poor, stupid son!” Whiteread grabbed the man and pulled him into his chest. “You damned fool. Who told you this?”

“Akainu. Admiral Akainu.”

Whitebread growled as he listened to the story. “To even suggest such a thing.”

“If you’re true pirates then you choose what path to take on your own!” Whitebeard struck out and destroyed the ice walls surrounding them. There now they could leave. 

“LETS ATTACK!” He leaped into the fray. He was done waiting.   
——

Mihawk disengaged from Boa Hancock. when he felt Shanks enter the battlefield. They were both bleeding and panting for breath. 

“Perhaps we could finish this at another time?”

The women scoffed. “Running away?”

The ground beneath them started to shift. Slowly at first until it became too unsteady to stand up. Mihawk glanced at the rumbling ground. “A strategic retreat.” 

He sheathed his sword. “A draw then.” the Empress offered. 

“For now.” He agreed. 

Together they watched the great shockwave as it impacted the execution tower and rebounded. The three admirals stood with their hands outstretched, blocking the tremor in its path. 

——

Marco stayed behind to update the Red-Haired pirates on the situation. Squard was crying on the deck of the Moby Dick but Marco ignored him. Shanks whistled as Pop’s attacked tore apart the battlefield and destroyed the half city. 

“Impressive as always.”

“It’s not looking so good for us. They moved up the execution. Sengoku’s trying to get it down as soon as possible.”

Shanks scoffed. “This whole thing is a farce.”

“You’re daughter’s down there with Straw Hat trying to help him reach Ace. Ten commanders are with them.”

“Is she? Great. Time to put an end to this showboating spectacle .”

He disappeared. Marco tracked him with his eyes as the man used Geppo to climb the air itself. He reached the tower and mercilessly cut down one of the Admirals in a single blow. 

Cries erupted from marines. “Admiral Akainu!” “No!” “Another Yonko?”

Aokiji and Kizaru turned to face the Red Haired Pirate. 

“I’m here to end this.”

——

Luffy was exhausted but he kept getting back up. He looked to his side at Blaze and Jinbe. He’d be dead without them.

“Luffy, look.” Blazed pointed up. He followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of Red Hair.

“AAHH Why would you do that, Blaze!? I told you I didn’t want to see him yet.”

“Hmm, why’s that?” A deep voice asked from behind Luffy. He whipped his head around. 

“Old Man Ray?!”

“Uncle Ray?!” Blaze lept at the man and tackled him in a hug. “I missed you so much.” The old man hugged her back and rested a hand on her head.

“You’ve gotten into some trouble, I see.”

“What are you doing here old man.?” Luffy asked.

“We’re here to stop this senseless war. The navy goaded us into this but we’re going to end it.”

Luffy didn’t really understand but they were here to help and that’s all he needed to know. 

“I need to get to Ace.” He repeated his goal. If he kept saying it then it would happen. He had to believe that.

“Uncle Ray, can you take us?” Blaze asked. He could do that? Luffy tilted his head at the old guy. He sure was full of surprises.

Old Man Ray heaved a sigh. “I can’t convince you to retreat back to the Red Force?”

“Not a chance!” Luffy said. Blaze shook her head. 

“I’m staying with Luffy. We need to save Ace.” A warm feeling stirred in him. Blaze was strong. With her help, saving Ace would be easier. He was happy she was here.

“Very well.” Rayleigh held out his hands. “Hold tight.”

In the next second, Blaze and Luffy were flying through the air as Rayleigh sprinted them towards the execution tower. It felt like flying.

Luffy felt hope start to fill him. They were doing it! No one was stopping them. 

Rayleigh dropped them and Blaze burst into movement dispatching the new executioners as Rayleigh turned to face Sengoku. 

Luffy couldn’t move. Ace was right in front of him. He lunged toward him in a hug. A thousand weights dropped off his shoulders.

“Luffy,” his brother said his name like it was punched out of him. 

“Hurry up!” Blaze shouted as she spun to face Garp. Luffy sprung into action and quickly had Ace uncuffed. Just as Garp charged them Luffy grabbed Ace and Blaze and jumped off the tower leaving Rayleigh alone to face both Garp and Sengoku. 

When they landed Luffy caught a glimpse of Shanks fighting two admirals but resolutely turned his eyes forward. They needed to get out of here. 

Blue fire materialized in front of him when they landed. Another one of Ace’s friends. 

“Marco!” 

“ACE!” The blonde guy ran up to them and grabbed Ace in a vicious hug. “Let’s go!”

“Right behind you!” Blaze said as she slashed through a guy.

“GUM GUM WHIP!” Luffy took out a whole group. 

Fire started to surround them and Luffy grinned. He’d gotten his brother back. 

“You guys can still fight?” Ace asked with a glance back.

“Of course!” Luffy and Blaze shouted at the same time. They all grinned at each other.

“Follow me.” Marco ordered and they all took off back through the battlefield. 

The fight wasn’t over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting the last chapter later this week and I'll post the first chapter of the next story in the series at the same time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ending an era

On the Sabaody Archipelago, reporters and bystanders alike were riveted to the war on display. Shakky tried to relax but from what she could see on the one remaining screen, she had every right to be worried. 

Vaguely, she noticed that several of the supernovas had left. 

——-

The Whitebeard Pirates and allies all cheered for Luffy and Ace when they noticed Fire Fist had been freed. The Impel Down escapees felt their jaws drop, Buggy watched from where they were all sneaking around. The Marines were firing blindly at the group trying to get them to stop.

Buggy squinted through the flames, smoke, and ice to see what was happening. Blaze, Ace, Luffy, and Marco the Phoenix were all charging through a hoard of marines. A bloody trail laid behind them with more than one marine burnt to a crisp from blue or orange flames.

As he watched, more and more Whitebeard pirates were butting in to create a path for the group. Buggy really wondered at that Straw Hat kid. How the hell did he inspire such loyalty in those he didn’t even know?

Buggy remembered when they’d first met all the way back in the East Blue and Cat Burglar Nami and Straw Hat Luffy had been no names. It’d taken the boy less than ten minutes to convince the girl to betray him and join forces. Now, apparently, he had a loyal following for life. 

One admiral tried to send a mass of ice towards the fleeing pirates but it stood no chance against the combined flames of Ace and Marco. Buggy found himself impressed with his old captain’s kid. He was strong just like Captain Roger. Not that Buggy cared or anything.

A horrendous clashing jerked his attention back to the execution tower and Buggy sprinted to get the hell out of sight. Fuck, if all those insane assholes were clashing on this spec of an island he needed to get out and fast. Three admirals, two yonko, and Dark King Rayleigh? No fucking thank you. 

Buggy watched from behind an iceberg as the marines braced themselves to stop the escape. It was futile. Shank’s and Captain’s kids were decimating the opposition. 

The phoenix and other Whitebeard commanders were trying to clear a path. As soon as it was open, the group shot forward. Buggy frowned. It seemed too easy. He looked back to the execution tower. 

Shanks was fighting Kizaru, Whitebeard was fighting Aokiji, and Sengoku and Garp were double-teaming Rayleigh. 

Where was Akainu? Surely Shanks hadn’t killed him in a single blow. Buggy had a bad feeling about this. He cursed under his breath. This whole situation sucked.

——-

Sengoku grumbled in disgrace. How could they let those filthy pirates get away? He raised his transponder snail to issue orders but was forced to drop it to defend himself from a blow from Dark King Rayleigh

“What the hell are you doing here?” The fleet admiral yelled. 

“Hmm, you invited me, didn’t you?”The other man was cool and collected but fire rumbled underneath his skin. It reminded Sengoku of simpler times chasing the Roger pirates back in the day. The reminder just put him in a worse mood. 

“Stay out of this! This has nothing to do with you. Your time is passed.”

“Really Sengoku? You’re older than me!”

“We’re all past our prime!” Garp interjected as he came flying between them with a punch that missed Rayleigh by a hair. 

“I’d retire if you took down my bounty posters!”

“We can’t do that. You sailed with the king of the pirates after all.”

“And you should be glad I’m not interested in spreading stories about what I learned.”

Sengoku scowled even more. Garp shoved his way between them, “I’ll hold him off, Senny.”

“You better, Garp. I need to salvage this mess.” Sengoku reached down to grab the transponder snail. This was turning into a madhouse. “RAISE THE WALLS! DON’T ABANDON THE PLAN. DRAWBACK FROM THE ICE”

He shot a glance to a marine nearby, “Have they stopped broadcasting yet?”

“No, Sir! One snail is still unaccounted for.”

“Hurry it up! We don’t have time for this.”

The furious fighting between Silvers and Garp next to him was ramping up. Soon, Sengoku would be forced to step in. He started to transform. 

Sengoku looked towards the ice-covered battlefield. Most of his soldiers had retreated. Good. 

“IMPACT WAVE”

——

Shanks was having fun fighting this light guy. His men were dealing with the government cyborgs and various marines. He wasn’t worried. Every person on his crew was stronger than a Vice Admiral. They had to be. 

It wasn’t always easy sailing the New World. Shanks never wanted a fleet like Whitebeard or an entire country like Big Mom. He was happy with the Red Force and his comparatively smaller crew. 

He blocked a beam headed his way by reflecting it back to the admiral with his sword. He should finish this quickly. 

“I know why you’re here, Red Hair.” The admiral said. His voice was annoying. 

“Hmm, do you?”

“For your daughter. We’ll give her to you without protest if you back down.”

“HAHA, man.” Shanks smirked. “It’s too late for that. You guys have really pissed me off.”

Shanks dove forward to attack. He was done playing nice. “I’m going to destroy you.”

Now, if only the flashy bastard would stop moving. He had things to do. 

——-

Sentomaru was panicking. He was going to lose his job for sure. The Pacifistas were all gone. Wires exposed and limb strewn along the ice. Several pieces of the cyborgs had made new homes jamming the marines cannons. Damn it. 

They weren’t made for New World pirates! Vegapunk was going to have his ass for this. It wasn’t his fault.

His fist clenched. He could see Uncle Kizaru’s fight with Red Hair from here. It wasn’t looking good for the man. 

Damn it! What could he do? This was a disaster. 

——

Whitebeard was having more trouble than he should fighting Aokiji. His heart was faltering. Every beat it skipped was another sign that he was pushing himself too far. He was too old for this.

He couldn’t stop. 

The Navy was trying to end the great age of pirates. If they won here nothing would stop them from slaughtering anyone even remotely associated with piracy. Innocent kids, wives, shop owners who sold them supplies, and shipbuilders who built their ships. None would be spared. He’s seen it before. 

Whitebeard would not let them come after his family. This war was about saving Ace as much as it was about the future of piracy. 

“Ice Saber!” 

As the attack impaled him, Whitebeard considered his life. People the world over knew his name. If they called him demon, monster, or hero, he was just one man. The Strongest Man in the World. 

He had enough strength to protect the future of his family. 

“ICE BALL!”

Whitebeard lashed out and slit the incoming iceberg in two with a tremor. He swung his naginata and impaled Aokiji on its haki coated blade. 

An eye for an eye. 

He’d learned how to deal with logia users long before he’d ever been named emperor after all.

The other man choked on his own blood and Whitebeard flung him to the ground. He surged forward before the other could recover and delivered a powerful kick to the man’s head. 

Aokiji went flying across the battlefield into the rubble of a collapsed building. He didn’t reemerge. 

Whitebeard readied himself for another attack on Marineford. Shanks and he had agreed, they would be destroying this island. 

“MEN, RETREAT! I’LL FINISH UP HERE. WE HAVE ACE!”

———-

Akainu felt rage bubbling beneath his skin as he slunk away from the battling yonko and admirals. The strike from Shanks bled down his front. He ignored it.

He had prisoners to hunt down. Like hell would he allow these pirates to escape justice. 

—-

The Fleet Admiral’s Impact Wave rumbled across the frozen wasteland and threw most off their feet. Ace cursed as he and Luffy were forced to the ground. God, he can’t believe he’d once refused to learn Haki. To hell with his cursed blood. He was a fool for passing up the strength of kings just because his father had wielded it. 

When they got out of this, he was going to beg Marco to teach him. He looked at his stone-faced friend next to him where he’d remained standing with Blaze. After he’d begged for forgiveness from the man, of course. He knew he’d fucked up. 

He would never forgive himself for today. The death and suffering would haunt him forever. All Ace could do was tide himself over with promises to do everything he could to make up for it to his loved ones. The blood spilled all over this frozen tundra demanded it. 

He felt more than heard Pop’s answering quake. The two shock waves met in the air and destruction blew out on either side. The air trembled as the ground shook from the impact.

As Ace watched Marine HQ crumble and the plaza split in two, he couldn’t imagine ever being as powerful as Pops. 

——

Benn stood with Yasopp and looked over the rubble of the cyborgs. The frozen bay was covered in bodies. Benn had been around a long time but this was one of the few instances when the death and destruction were so blatant.

The Whitebeard Pirates determined to save Ace, the marines determined to kill him, and the Red Hair pirates seemingly only here to save captain’s daughter. 

Benn knew the truth. As much as the captain loved Blaze, there was another reason they were here. Several reasons actually. 

He looked behind the ruined Citadel and narrowed his eyes. Seems like someone new was crashing the party. 

——-

Sengoku transformed completely into his golden Buddha form as Garp struggled against Silvers. It was time to end this. 

——-

As the hidden walls around the bay struggled to open, blocked due to unmelted Ice and a giant’s blood, the war raged on. 

Oars Jr began to twitch. He needed to save his friend. Ace needed him.

———

Shanks flicked the blood off his sword and took stock of the battle. 

———

“Zehahahaha, What a mess this is!” Blackbeard cackled as he emerged from the shadows with his crew and several notorious criminals. 

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes. “You fat bastard. Why are you here?”

“DAMNIT BLACKBEARD! What are you up to?” Sengoku roared.

“He betrayed us.” Garp said. He was breathing heavily. “What a surprise.”

——-

“GREAT ERUPTION”

A giant fist of magma exploded between Blaze and the boys. She cursed as she was thrown to the side and separated from the others. 

Before she had a chance to panic, she felt a rope wrap around her neck. She brought up a Haki-covered fist to rip it away from her as she realized it wouldn’t let her phase through it. 

“The little girl has some tricks, Fuffuffuffuffu.”

She looked up into the grinning face of Donquixote Doflamingo. His hands were outstretched in a claw and she realized the ropes trying to slither over her skin were from his body. She jumped up to put some distance between them while ripping the strings from her.

He let her. 

Blaze only had a moment to realize she was outclassed before the warlord began his assault. Strings struck out at her mercilessly, nearly every blow something that could kill her. She dodged as best she could but still found herself impaled by several strings in short order. 

Fuck. She coughed. That was definitely a hole in her lung. Goddamed haki. Doflamingo’s Haki was unquestionably stronger than hers. It burned at her to know that fucker had greater willpower than her. It didn’t make sense. 

Donflamingo came at her with a mad gleam in his eyes. Blaze brought her sword forward to brace herself when he disappeared from her sight completely. Her haki warned her but she wasn’t fast enough to react. A huge hand cupped her cheek roughly and turned her face from side to side. He towered over her. 

“Fuffuffuffuffu, those are some unique eyes you have, kid. And that nose.” He observed her clinically before wrenching her head to the right. Blaze could feel herself start to panic from the pain of her wounds and the warlord’s proximity. He brushed her hair aside and ran a finger over the shell of her ear. “Hm. Interesting.” 

Seas this guy was a creep. What the hell was he looking at?

She felt her breathing speed up and tried to jerk herself away. Out of nowhere, help came from an unlikely source. 

Crocodile flew in front of her and engaged the blonde in a series of swift blows. He pushed the other man away from her with a vicious wave of sand. Blaze took a second to gain her bearings back from the warlord’s assault. Before she could linger too long she watched Crocodile’s head roll from his body. 

Well. That was fast. RIP Crocodile.

She heard the gasp of surprise from around her but all she did was brace herself again for an attack, now on the offensive. Blaze swung her sword down in a furious slash that Doflamingo blocked effortlessly. 

He was toying with her still. What was wrong with this guy?

Crocodile reformed his head and the blonde spoke up. “I’m hurt, Croc. You’d team up with this little girl but not me? Boo.” 

“I’m not teaming up with anyone. I just don’t like you.”

“Ouch. That pierced me, right in the HEART STRINGS!” Deadly projectiles shot towards them both. this time, she saw the blackened sheen of Haki Coating them and dodged by the skin of her teeth. Her observation haki was the only reason she was still alive. 

“Get out of here, brat. I don’t need your help.” Crocodile said lowly. 

“You sure?” He ignored her to push forward in another attack and she took the opportunity to flee. Like hell she was dying fighting that blonde psycho. She owed Crocodile a solid if he survived. 

She shivered. That was harrowing.

—-

Aokiji grimaced as he regained consciousness. He contemplated staying down before heaving himself up with a great sigh. The war was still ongoing. 

He saw Kizaru laid out on the ground. He looked dead but Aokiji couldn’t tell. 

Whitebeard was still fighting. Alright. The old man was weakening. Aokiji headed that way. Sengoku was fighting too. Was that Blackbeard too? Damn.

Based on the yelling and steam from the bay, Akainu was trying to catch Ace.

He sighed. This was a mess. 

——

Luffy felt himself faltering. He was exhausted. As he dodged the magma fists aimed at them he could feel himself slowing down. The bastard attacking them wasn’t letting up. Luffy looked around desperately for his brother. He couldn’t see him over the steam from where magma melted through the ice. 

“ST. ELMO’S FIRE!” Ace screamed as he attacked and tried to defend them. Nothing was working.

——-

Aokiji dealt a devastating blow to Whitebeard that froze half his body. He followed it up with a kick that separated the man’s arm from his body.

Sengoku saw it and didn’t miss a beat. “MEN! TAKE WHITEBEARD’s HEAD”

“I don’t think so.” Rayleigh said and blocked an attack aimed for the old yonko’s back. 

“Don’t think me so weak to need your help, Rayleigh.” 

Blackbeard laughed. “Zehahahaha, don’t let me stop you from killing each other.”

“CONTINUE THE RETREAT! I DON’T NEED HELP” Whitebeard bellowed. 

“Hmm, is that so? Let me just pack it up then.” Rayleigh joked. 

“I AM WHITEBEARD!” With that great exclamation, the old pirate captain sent a wave of marines flying. 

Cries of ‘Monster!’ echoed around the battlefield. 

Rayleigh chuckled. “Just like old times.”

“THE ERA OF PIRATES IS JUST BEGINING! ONE PIECE DOES EXIST!”

——

Oars Jr. rose from the ground to a ruined city. His head was pounding. 

What was he doing….?

Wait. There was Pops. He was in trouble. 

Oars Jr. lumbered over. He’d always help Pops. 

———

“Hound BLAZE!” A giant magma dog barreled down on the brothers too fast for them to move, exhausted as they were from their short fight with the Admiral. Marco was racing towards them from where he’d been thrown away but he wouldn’t make it in time. Luffy felt Ace clutch him tighter. He could barely move. 

The brothers braced themselves when a blur shot down and kicked the magma away. Blaze fell to the ground in front of them with a pained scream and a smoking foot.

She rolled as she landed and tried to stand, only to crumple back to the ground. A whimper escaped her lips. Luffy felt her name get stuck in his throat.

“BLAZE!” Ace yelled as he dove for the girl. 

“Let’s get the hell out of here!” She said.

“I’ll cover you!” Marco yelled. 

“Ace, I’m sorry. I can’t walk.” Blaze said through clenched teeth. Luffy felt helpless next to them. 

“Running away Fire Fist? I should expect nothing else from a crewmate of that coward Whitebeard.” 

Luffy saw Ace’s anger grow. His older brother started to turn towards the magma man before Blaze let out another pained cry. Luffy tried to push himself back to his feet but fell to the ground halfway up.

He cursed his weak body as the sounds of battle raged around him. He was scooped up by a familiar blue arm soon after. Jinbe was here. 

Luffy looked around. Ace was holding Blaze as they ran next to him and Jinbe. Marco was holding off the magma man. Everything was a blur. His head was spinning. 

They were getting out of there. All of a sudden Jinbe let out a shocked cry and Luffy felt a fierce burning spread through his chest. 

“LUFFY!”

His last sight was of Blaze falling to the ground as Ace dropped her to block an attack and magma filling his vision. He tried to move, to stand up, to help. 

He blacked out. 

——

Ace felt terror flow through him. 

His baby brother was splayed out on he ice, limp and unmoving with a giant hole in his chest. 

Was Luffy… was he dead?

Blaze crawled over to him. “He’s still breathing! We need a doctor Ace!”

God, she looked awful too. Ace hated this. He hated that magma asshole and this whole stupid war. Damnit. 

——-

Jinbe scooped Luffy and Blaze both up and ran towards the edge of the ice. He had a hole through his stomach but he wouldn’t let these kids die here. 

——-

Shanks heard his daughter scream from across the battlefield. He flew to her side. It still wasn’t quick enough. 

Ace was furiously fighting off an admiral with Marco. Shanks jumped in and engaged Akainu as his kids were carried away by Jinbe so Ace and Marco could follow. Their retreat covered by the rest of the Whitebeards. Shanks was stone-cold furious. Everything sharpened in to focus and he started to release his Haki. 

No words were exchanged. There wasn’t a need for useless talk with blows this heavy.

The redhead appeared behind Akainu and punched a hole through his body. The admiral sent a surge of magma towards his head. 

Shanks ducked underneath it and lashed out with a kick and threw the man to the ground, greatly wounding the marine.

The yonko wasn’t finished. Several powerful kicks created a crater in the ice until the magma man’s body broke through the thick sheet of ice and fell into the ocean below. 

He stepped back. That was two Admirals down. 

——-

Garp felt his stomach turn and bile crawl up his throat at the sight of his youngest grandson’s limp body. 

He’d chosen duty over his family for so long it wasn’t even a choice for him anymore. 

‘Do I deserve to live, Gramps?”

Garp stood alone in the rubble of his oldest grandson’s execution tower and wondered what it said about him. 

‘I just want you boys to have the strength to do the right thing, to follow the right path.’

Was it all worth it?

When all his family had been hunted down and killed, what then?

Blackbeard rampaged in front of him and the fighting devolved into a messy battle royale between old legends and relics of a bygone era. 

Garp was tired. He was old and alone. 

Maybe it was time to step back and let the fresh blood take over?

——

Kolby dove into the frigid water of the bay to retrieve Admiral Akainu.

His lungs were burning by the time he found the still body. He looked powerless floating there. Kolby wondered if he was too late. 

The ice sheet above him struck a terrible cord in him. Weighted down by the admiral’s body, Kolby didn’t let himself think as he kicked back to the surface.

———

Buggy was going to make the Marines regret this. He and his men had been darting around, hiding from the marines, and ensuring their stolen snail didn’t miss a thing.

“ACK!” He was thrown to the ground as two bodies were thrown on him. 

“Sorry, Uncle Buggy.” 

‘Uncle Buggy?’ ‘The captain is so nice!”Did you see him save Fire Fist and Red Hair’s girl!’’WHAT A HERO!’’We’ll follow you forever Captain!’’Get the shot men!’

“I hate you, girl. That straw hat too. I hate you so much.” He looked back to see Shanks fighting Akainu. Jinbe was on the ground next to them and the girl and Straw Hat were laid out on top of him.

“I asked him to throw us to you before he passed out. Can you help us get out of here?” She asked

“No! I don’t even like you!”

The girl laughed. “I think dad has a treasure map? I’m sure he’d be happy to give it to you if you helped us?”

Buggy felt motivation built. “Treasure you say?” He stood and swung a kid over each shoulder. “I love treasure.”

“Woah, you’re so strong, Captain!” His fellow escapees shouted. “Get his good angle, men!”

“Grab the fishman! Follow me, Men!”

Buggy didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He’d been flying by the seat of his pants for longer than he could remember. The last few days were starting to blur in his mind. It always seemed to work out though.

“YO! Bring them over here! I’m a doctor!” A voice drew his attention and Buggy saw a man peeking out from a massive hole in the ice from the top of what seemed to be a submarine. 

Buggy sprinted over. Like he said. It always seemed to work out. “Who the fuck are you?!”

When cannonballs started to land around them, Buggy decided he didn’t care. He roughly threw his burdens into the stranger’s arms then dove behind an iceberg for cover. His men followed his lead.

It only occurred to him that he should’ve gone with them afterward when his loyal followers were clustered around him asking after the next move. Damnit. 

He looked over at Shanks. “BASTARD!” 

“Ah Buggy. Long time no see. Thanks for helping out the kids!”

“Don’t thank me! BASTARD! YOU PISS ME OFF!”

“I really missed you too, buddy.”

“DON’T SAY THAT TO ME! DAMNIT” Buggy was panting. He hated that stupid smug grin. “We’re coming with you to get out of here. You owe me!”

“Sure, sure. Welcome aboard. Nice crew you got there. Matching uniforms?”

“SHUT UP!”

———

Marco surveyed the field from where he stood back to back with Ace. Oars Jr was alive and with Pops, Shanks was mercilessly cutting down marines, and all the Whitebeard Pirates were still retreating. 

He clenched his fists. Pops wasn’t moving.

They’d nearly all boarded the ships when trouble appeared on the horizon. Teach and his crew were fighting Garp, Sengoku, and Aokiji. Rayleigh was guarding Pops. Hell, they needed to get him out of there.

“OARS! GRAB POPS AND GET OUT OF THERE!” 

Oars Jr threw Pops unconscious body over his shoulder and sprinted towards the Moby Dick. Marco had never seen the giant move that quickly. He laid Pops down on the deck with a nod towards Ace and Marco then made off towards his crew. Marco was going to send the giant a huge fruit basket when this was all over. Or maybe another hat. He’d make Ace weave it.

——-

Red-Haired shanks swung his sword in a great downward slash and a terrible shockwave traveled out towards the marines. It grew larger and larger as it destroyed everything in its wake. The destruction seemed to go on forever for the poor souls in its paths. After it died out, desolation was left in its wake.

“Yasopp. Burn it to the ground.” The command echoed through the air and reached every fighter’s ears. 

“Yes, Captain.” The sniper took aim and fired five times. In short order, fire raced through the remnants of Marinford. Marines scramble to put it out and save their fallen. The entire island was crumbling. 

“There goes any chance of a peaceful retirement” Rayleigh mused next to him. 

“You marines want to kill kids for the blood of their parents? This is what happens. Destroy it all men.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Shanks wasn’t known for wanton destruction but today would be the day he laid a bloody swathe across the world.

———

Blackbeard cursed. Damn. Whitebeard had gotten away. All that effort to kill the man and that damn red-haired bastard messed everything up. The entire place was going up in flames. 

Time for the backup plan. He turned his greedy gaze toward Admiral Aokiji. Ice had always complimented darkness rather well. The other was on his last leg already.

He grinned savagely. Time to shake the world.

————

The Red Force sailed away from Marineford and left a smoking ruin in their wake. Shanks frowned furiously at the horizon. Benn and Rayleigh were at his side. Blaze had been taken away by some rookie in a submarine along with Luffy and Jinbe.

He glanced back at the Moby Dick. Marco and Ace had taken command. His eyes could barely pick out the body of Whitebeard laid out on the deck. The old man was dying. They were surrounded by the remaining ships of their allies.

As he watched, the Moby Dick lowered its jolly roger and a solemn wind swept the sails. 

“Bon Voyage, Whitebeard.” Rayleigh said as the breeze caught his voice and swept it away.

The seas of change were on the wind. Anyone could feel it. This was the dawn of a new era. 

Shanks followed behind Hancock’s marine ship as they turned away from the Whitebeard fleet. He had a daughter to collect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the next story in the series! it's about Blaze as she journeys with the Straw Hats
> 
> I'm going to be going back to edit this now that I'm done. I know there are a TON of errors. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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